For the 2018-2019 school year, Duval County Public Schools plans to add an armed "School Safety Assistant" to every elementary school in the county. This is NOT a School Resource Officer (who is a sworn officer trained by JSO), like we have in our middle and high schools. These new School Safety Assistants are not sworn officers and have far too little training for the crucial job of keeping our children safe.

DCPS would never allow an uncertified teacher to teach in our schools. So why would they allow an unsworn person to wield a weapon and be in charge of safety around our children? This is not safe for anyone - students, teachers or staff.  

SOLUTION: Instead of hiring School Safety Assistants, DCPS should use the state funds to add additional sworn School Resources Officers (SROs) that can serve our elementary schools on a rotating, undisclosed schedule. As more funds become available, more SROs can be added until there is one on staff full time at every school. 

Keep our children safe. No one but sworn officers should have guns on campus.