Like every district across Florida, Polk County has been scrambling to comply with the new school safety law signed by Gov. Rick Scott earlier this year requiring armed security in every school building.
The district's superintendent has proposed a plan to bring the district into compliance, one that involves creating a new job position: "School Safety Specialist."
- Having School Resource Officer in every school cost-prohibitive
- School Safety Specialists will be trained with help from Sheriff's Office
- School board must approve plan
“Everybody is trying to figure out what to do, “ said Superintendent Jackie Byrd. “We would have loved to have a Student Resource Officer, which is very costly.”
Instead, Byrd is proposing a cheaper option. If the school board approves her proposal, the district will create a new position: School Safety Specialist.
“There will be a trained, armed specialist in every school in Polk County,” said Sherriff Grady Judd. “That person can respond in seconds, rather than minutes.”
These specialists will be trained with the help of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The district needs to hire 85 Safety Specialists, mostly for elementary schools.
The price tag for this new plan is still being calculated. In fact, just how much a School Safety Specialist will be paid has not been determined.
However, Byrd said it would be less than a teacher. An entry level teacher in Polk County makes $40,700 dollars.
The school board will vote on the plan on April 24. Hiring would begin immediately.
Applicants must go through a background check, a drug screening and a psychological evaluation.