Santa Rosa board hears public outcry over alleged safety lapses, approves new safety director and Soundside boundary plan

The Santa Rosa County School Board on Jan. 15 approved a new director of school safety and adopted boundary and grade‑level plans for the new Soundside High School, even as residents used public comment to press the district for more transparency about investigations and alleged failures to report incidents involving young students.

Superintendent Doctor Barber opened the meeting with district updates, including a reported rise in the graduation rate to 93.1% for 2024–25 and confirmation that the Santa Rosa Center for Innovation — funded by a $9,800,000 Triumph Gulf Coast grant — will open this spring. Barber also recounted a Jan. 13 “swatting” incident involving Hobbs Middle School that prompted a lockdown and reunification; she said law enforcement quickly secured campuses and that the district checked out roughly 330 students to authorized caregivers before operations returned to normal within about 90 minutes. "Within an hour and a half, we had checked out 330 children," Barber said, thanking local agencies and school staff for their coordination.

On personnel, the board voted unanimously to appoint the district’s recommended candidate to lead school safety after a multi‑applicant search. Barber told the board the committee narrowed 12 applicants to five finalists and selected "the best person for that job in Santa Rosa County"; the appointee thanked the board and described prior district roles. (Transcript contains the name of the appointee both as "Patrick Keane" and as "Patrick King"; the district introduced the individual during the meeting and the transcript uses both versions.)

The board also approved multiple administrative assignments, including the appointment of a principal for Gulf Breeze Elementary and naming Casey Winfelder principal of Southside High School. The board moved and approved staffing recommendations and routine contract and project items, including a small change order for Laughlin Technical College.

A contested portion of the meeting centered on policy and boundary decisions. Policy staff asked the board to defer consideration of an e‑bike policy (policy 8.23) pending further review with law enforcement; Barber said she was not recommending adoption of 8.23 at the meeting. The board approved other scheduled policy updates but did not adopt 8.23.

On school boundaries, the board held a public hearing and adopted the district's "orange" boundary scenario for Soundside High School. Staff recommended starting Soundside with ninth‑ and tenth‑grade students next year to phase enrollment, and the board approved both the zone selection and the grade‑level start. In explaining capacity and choice implications, staff noted that choice students who are accepted remain at the school until they choose otherwise, but transportation for out‑of‑zone choice students is the family's responsibility.

Public comment that followed was lengthy and often emotional. Several residents — including parents and local school‑board candidates — criticized how the district has handled allegations involving staff and student safety. Kyle Connolly, identifying himself as a district parent and school‑board candidate, urged clearer reporting and said, "Mandatory reporting is not a guideline and it is not a judgment call. It is a legal requirement designed to protect children." He and other speakers alleged that some incidents were handled internally rather than being reported to outside authorities and called for independent investigations and fuller disclosure.

Jerry Cooley and other commenters accused the district of "burying" allegations through quiet resignations or reassignments; Cindy Smith told the board she believed the pattern amounted to "administration failure, concealment, and deliberate inaction that has placed children at risk." The speakers requested records and state or federal oversight.

In response, board attorney Mr. Harmon reviewed the district’s legal obligations under board policy and Florida law, stressing that a resignation or retirement does not stop required reporting or investigative duties when allegations affect the health, safety or welfare of students. "Just because an employee decides to terminate … it does not mean that the process stops," Harmon said, and he noted the district must report certain findings to the Florida Department of Education and record separations where required by statute and board policy.

Barber also told the board the district had engaged outside counsel — the law firm Weiss Serota Healey — to conduct an independent investigation related to a graduation‑walk matter; she said the firm’s report, provided to the board on Jan. 9, concluded there was no reasonable cause to believe district staff violated board policy or Florida Department of Education rules in the reviewed matter. Barber said members of the public may request a copy of the report through the district’s human resources office.

What’s next: the district will proceed with the opening tasks for Soundside High School, continue construction and punch‑list work at the Center for Innovation, and begin follow‑up work related to safety protocols. The board attorney reiterated the district’s legal obligations regarding investigations and reporting; members of the public said they will pursue additional oversight and records requests.

The board adjourned following a final slate of routine financial and procurement approvals.