Pinellas, Pasco schools grapple with new Florida law on locked doors
Even before the law took effect in July, school district leaders across Florida raised yellow flags about new requirements to keep all campus gates and doors locked whenever children are present.
It took just over a week with students in classes to see just how problematic the mandate — the latest twist in Florida’s years-long response to the 2018 school shooting massacre in Parkland — has become.
Officials in the Pinellas and Pasco school districts raised the issue during board meetings this week, saying they’ve struggled with the logistics, especially during before- and after-school activities. There aren’t enough staff members to stand on call with keys in hand to unlock and relock every access point as students come and go, they said.
The same holds true during class periods, when students might need to travel from classroom to library to front office and back. Or to open parking lot gates for parents, students and staff who arrive and depart off the usual school schedule.
“We’re talking about how to give access to students who need to move around school,” Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong said Tuesday, detailing complaints she’s heard from parents and children. “We do not want our schools to be jails.”
Pinellas County superintendent Kevin Hendrick acknowledged the concerns Wednesday, saying his district remains committed to following the law “despite the challenges.”
Already, they’re calling for changes to the law. If nothing else, Pasco County superintendent Kurt Browning said, the Legislature needs to offer clarifications on exactly which doors and gates may remain open, and when.
“We’re already working on that,” Browning told his board, adding that the state association of school safety officers has been drafting language for lawmakers to consider. “The language has already been tentatively settled on.”
School boards throughout Florida are adding the issue to their legislative platforms, education lobbyist Kim McDougal said during the Pasco board’s discussion. McDougal, a former chief of staff to Rick Scott, represents Pasco, Hillsborough, Broward and and handful of other school boards.
Sean Jowell, the Pinellas district’s school safety specialist, said school administrators worked throughout the summer to prepare for the changes. They’ve adapted in many ways, Jowell said, but keeping a proper workflow for all employees from early morning programs through late evening events has kept everyone looking for additional improvements.
“Staffing concerns are one of our frustrations,” he said.
But it’s only the second week of classes, he added, suggesting that everyone should become more accustomed to the operations as schools respond to the nuances of the requirements.
By virtue of their designs, though, some schools will continue to struggle more than others with the rules. Those with multiple detached buildings, for instance, will face more challenges than those within single structures.
In the meantime, Pinellas superintendent Hendrick said, everyone involved needs to keep in mind that the locked doors and gates are just one part of the overarching school safety effort.
“It’s also a mindset of safety in everything we do,” he said.
Hendrick appeared in a video with Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and school police Chief Luke Williams that all students were shown in their first days back. Its message: See something, say something.
“Reporting something you see could make all the difference,” Williams said.
Jeffrey S. Solochek is an education reporter covering K-12 education policy and schools. Reach him at jsolochek@tampabay.com.