Safe School Funding

FASA included safe school funding in its 2017-2018 legislative platform. Here are a collection of resources on school safety.

Press

"Not if but when: Equip Florida schools to respond to violence" - Orlando Sentinel

"Florida lawmakers repeatedly denied pleas for more school-safety money" - TC Palm

Escambia County, Polk County, Manatee County, Leon County, and now Broward County – all these places have been in the news in the last month and a half for weapons-related incidents
Since July, FASA has been advocating for increased safe schools funding
Our executive director gave a presentation to the Florida State Board of Education outlining the decline in funding and the increase in student enrollment
We asked for $10 million in additional safe school funding and in the fall, FASA released its legislative platform which included safe school funding as a priority
Following this, Gov. Scott also recommended a $10 million increase in his proposed 2018-19 budget
Current, the Florida Senate is proposing a $13.7 million increase and The Florida House has designated zero additional dollars
We are in critical need of an increase in safe school funding with the changing climate of our schools
Currently, 83 percent of safe schools funding pays for SRO salaries
Although there are 67 school districts, they receive a pot of $63 million– less than $1 million per district
Every school deserves the funding to employ an adequate number of tactically trained SROs to attempt to prevent devastating events such as the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida
Other uses of safe school funding include necessary training for administrators, teachers, and staff on rapid response lockdown procedures, evacuation, de-escalation skills, parent reengagement, etc.