Board approves Florida Safe Schools assessment, authorizes policy advertisements; public-participation change tabled

The Volusia County School Board on Oct. 14 unanimously approved its annual Florida Safe Schools assessment, heard safety and program updates from district staff, and authorized advertising revisions to two board policies. A separate proposed amendment to the board's public-participation policy was tabled after members said they wanted further review.

Florida Safe Schools assessment: Captain Smith of the district's Safety and Security Department presented the statutory Florida Safe Schools assessment required under Florida Statute 1006.07. Smith reported that all schools now have either a school guardian or school resource officer assigned and that the district employs about 90 school guardians, six lead guardians, a guardian commander and a security operations coordinator in addition to 38 school resource officers.

Smith said the district's priorities have shifted with recent legislation and county radio upgrades. He recommended completing an ongoing districtwide camera installation program by December 2025 (three years ahead of an earlier schedule), standardizing radios across campuses through a three-year replacement plan, and installing metal detectors in all high schools as a district project in progress. "Each school has gone through a detailed assessment," Smith said in presenting the statutory report. The board…