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State’s Safe Schools inspection: 12 Marion County schools inspected in quarter; five found with no safety deficiencies
Summary
Cynthia Barnes of the Office of Safe Schools presented the Department of Education’s quarterly compliance inspection numbers: 12 schools inspected (22.22% of district), with five showing no school safety requirement deficiencies (41.67% of those inspected). The state report omits granular details for security reasons.
Cynthia Barnes, representing the Office of Safe Schools, delivered the Florida Department of Education’s quarterly compliance inspection report to the board on Jan. 23.
Barnes said the Office of Safe Schools conducts unannounced inspections while school is in session and investigates reports of noncompliance. Citing the quarterly summary, she reported that in Marion County 12 schools were inspected or reinspected during the quarter (22.22% of district schools) and five of those inspected schools showed no school safety requirement deficiencies (41.67% of inspected schools).
Barnes emphasized statutory confidentiality constraints: the state’s report to districts omits detailed facility‑level information in order to maintain safety and security. "To maintain the safety and security of the district, the report provided by the state does not contain detailed information," she said, and she referenced Florida Statute 1001.212 as the reporting authority for the requirement and the Office of Safe Schools’ inspection form.
Board members asked whether more detailed briefings could be scheduled for the board; Barnes and superintendent staff said the board could be briefed in a private session or individually where appropriate to preserve sensitive security information.
Ending: The board accepted the quarterly compliance inspection report and noted that further briefings will be arranged where necessary and lawful.
