Florida Gov. Cuts Millions from Guardian Training Program

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $41.6 million from a guardian training program which trains school employees to carry guns on campus.

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $41.6 million from a guardian training program which trains school employees to carry guns on campus. The cut was part of an effort to rebalance the state budget after coronavirus-related economic shortfalls. In total, Gov. DeSantis cut $1 billion from programs related to affordable housing, education and social services, reports the Orlando Sentinel.

The Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program was established in 2018 through the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Through the program, police train teachers, coaches, and other school employees to respond to an active shooter. It requires the school employees to pass psychological and drug evaluations and complete a minimum of 144 hours of training.

Currently, 43 counties participate in the program, which is named after a coach who shielded students from a gunman who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, chairman of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission that recommended the guardianship program, estimates its costs about $2 million a year to provide guardianship training throughout the state.

The guardian program began with a one-time, non-recurring pot of $67 million, with $500,000 in recurring dollars, reports The Ledger. The program had a low number of school districts who signed up the first year so the legislature rolled over the leftover money into the following year’s budget.

The funds are granted to participating sheriff’s departments to cover the cost of screening, psychological evaluations, training, ammunition, and liability insurance. Guardians are also given a one-time $500 stipends.

Ted Roush, superintendent of Suwannee County schools, told The Ledger he estimates it costs his district about $5,000 for a new recruit to $2,000 for ongoing training. Without the allocated state resources, the district doesn’t have the money to provide the training.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. She can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • A.C. Camargo Cancer Center Enhances Security, Patient Care with Help from Advanced Video Surveillance

    A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, a leading oncology treatment center in São Paulo, Brazil recognized for its history of innovation, today announced that its partnership with Axis Communications has produced savings of more than $2 million over its first two years, all of which will be reinvested in patient care. A.C. Camargo has deployed more than 2,000 state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras throughout the Center’s corridors, complex care units, and parking lots, embracing a more holistic approach to security that emphasizes patient and employee safety along with improved quality of service. Read Now

  • 2025 Secure Campus Award Winners Announced

    Campus Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 Secure Campus Award winners. Twenty companies are being recognized this year for products that help keep education and business campuses safe. Read Now

  • K-12 School Safety Trends Report Shows Training, Technology Are Saving Lives

    CENTEGIX, the industry leader and most widely adopted wearable safety technology provider for K-12 education, today released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, the only comprehensive and data-rich analysis of school safety available in the wearable panic button market. The report identifies and outlines the top tech and legislative movements relevant to school safety in the U.S. and draws on data collected in the 2024/2025 school year through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, including more than 265,000 incidents of CrisisAlert use. Read Now

  • Survey: Fewer Than 20 Percent of School Leaders Consider Their Main Entrance “Completely Secure”

    Singlewire Software, provider of solutions that help keep people safe and informed, releases the findings of its inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. This research highlights the concerns and challenges schools are facing in securing their entrances and keeping students and staff safe from potential threats Read Now