Florida Senate Looks to Revise Its Controversial School Guardian Law

Florida Senate Looks to Revise Its Controversial School Guardian Law

The potential revision was prompted by Palm Beach County schools using a private security firm to train its school guardians instead of the sheriff’s office.

The Florida Senate is looking to revise the controversial school guardian bill just four months after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law.

SB 7030 states all public schools in Florida are required to have police officers or specially trained guards. Under the law, classroom teachers can also be armed.

The News Service of Florida reported Senate President Bill Galvano wants to clarify the law and clearly outline the training requirements for armed school personnel.

The potential revision was prompted by Palm Beach County schools using a private security firm to train its school guardians instead of the sheriff’s office.

The school district’s lawyer understood the law to mean private firms could also train the security, reported the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

The sheriff’s office discovered the company, Invictus Security, was passing students who failed shooting and firearm tests.

The office also found the company passed candidates that did not meet psychological qualifications as well.

Upon discovery of the botched training job, the school district abruptly terminated the contract with the company.

Now, Invictus is suing the school board alleging the board owes the firm about $100,000. However, the school board said due to the passage of students who failed tests by Invictus the contract is void as the company broke the terms of the agreement.

“Failure to train the school security guards in compliance with SB 7030, endangered the health, safety and/or welfare of the Palm Beach County School District’s students or employees,” the school board said in a Sept. 5 response to the lawsuit.

The Senate’s potential revision would not be able to be considered until the next legislative session begins in January.

About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Door Hardware and Campus Security: Enhancing Safety in Schools

    The importance of investing in school safety cannot be overstated, but knowing where to start implementation of school safety features can be a challenge. A recent survey by the National Center on Education Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. public schools have classrooms with doors that can't be locked from the inside. Even among schools with doors that do lock, recent legislation reflects a common misconception that simply keeping the doors locked all day will eliminate the potential for an attack, in direct violation of PASS (Partner Alliance for Safer Schools) Guidelines. Read Now

  • Brigham Young University Strengthens Campus Security With Genetec Operations Center

    Genetec Inc, a provider of enterprise physical security software, announced that Brigham Young University's (BYU) has optimized its security operations with the Genetec™ Operations Center work management system. Read Now

  • AI-based Risk Mitigation: The Next Advancement in Video Surveillance and Public Safety

    Safety is at the forefront of every organization and covers a gamut of scenarios, not just weapon-fueled lethal threats. It also includes smaller-scale and everyday situations like slipping hazards, fallen persons, unauthorized vehicles, and more. These issues cause disruptions in daily operations and cost companies and facilities money and downtime, so a fully realized security plan must involve actions that facility personnel should take once a hazard of any size occurs. Informing everyone that a hazard exists, where it’s located, and what actions to take is imperative for maintaining personal safety. Read Now

  • Fort Worth ISD Strengthens Event Safety

    The issue of concealed weapons being introduced into school extracurricular activities, including sporting events and graduations, became a growing concern in communities across the nation. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols. Read Now