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Duval school board receives safety update; Office of Safe Schools reported 27 campus visits Jan–Mar
Summary
At a board workshop, district leaders described recent safety inspections, said the district strengthened its student safety team and noted the state Auditor General conducts surprise audits every three years.
The Duval County School District board heard a safety-and-security update at a workshop meeting that reviewed Office of Safe Schools visits and changes to the district’s student safety team.
District leaders told the board the Office of Safe Schools’ report listed 27 school visits for January through March — a figure district staff said differed from an internal tally of 29 visits — and that year‑to‑date the office has visited 84 schools. The superintendent and staff described new training and additional staff to support school safety and said principals and sponsors are being held accountable when inspections find gaps.
The update was presented in the workshop portion of the meeting. Superintendent (name not specified in the transcript) introduced Police Chief Jackson Short and school safety specialist Glenn Vernon to explain findings and next steps. The superintendent told the board the district “bolstered our student safety team,” and said the change came after staff felt the previous team was overwhelmed.
“We were attempting to be funny, and we realized very quickly that Glenn didn’t see that as a funny thing. He felt overwhelmed,” the superintendent said, according to the workshop transcript. The superintendent also summarized the district’s expectation for communication with families: “If they come with 10 fingers and toes, you need to go home with those,” he said, urging principals to notify families promptly if students are harmed.
District staff said the Office of Safe Schools’ quarterly report showed 27 visits representing about 13.4% of district schools for January–March, though staff also said the office’s own materials had an alternate count of 29 visits. Staff emphasized that safety checks focus on drills, gate security and documentation.
Workshop presenters noted the state Auditor General performs statewide audits on a three‑year cadence and that auditors may conduct unannounced visits to school campuses. The superintendent said the district has informed school leaders and its safety team about that possibility.
Board members did not take a formal vote during the safety update; the item was presented as an informational briefing. Staff said they have been meeting regularly with principals and will continue monitoring compliance and training through the end of the school year.
The board packet included a larger set of visit data as an attachment; staff said they can provide additional details on individual campus findings upon request.
