Volusia, Flagler join 4-county initiative to eliminate school issues before they escalate
State Attorney R.J. Larizza and school superintendents from Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties gathered Thursday morning to announce an initiative called "Safety First, Success Always."
The initiative focuses on education, awareness and accountability and covers all four school districts in the 7th Circuit: Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns and Putnam counties. It seeks to prevent or eliminate problems while they are still small, before a student loses his or her life or violence erupts into a school shooting.
Officials talked about "see something, say something," as well as the dangers of vaping, which could lead to death by fentanyl poisoning.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza said the initiative began about a year ago.
House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, said the four superintendents and Larizza displayed “a great example of proactive leadership” which could help prevent another Parkland shooting.
“That was something that was lacking before Parkland … all of those pillars were absent,” Renner said.
He said the Parkland shooter was in contact with school officials, mental health professionals, law enforcement and many of the students knew he was “not going in a good direction.”
“There was a lack of education, a lack of awareness and ultimately a lack of accountability, with this idea that we're not going to hold people accountable and somehow the problems will just go away,” Renner said. “So, the goal, I hope, here is to make those smaller problems today remain small and go away and not become large — problems of addiction, of gun violence and other things, and, God forbid, a school shooting,” Renner said.
Superintendents discuss the pillars
“Thank you so much. This is what a village looks like coming together to really be proactive when it comes to keeping our children in our community safe,” said Volusia County Schools Superintendent Carmen Balgobin, who spoke about the second pillar, awareness. She said they want to make sure that parents are aware of the resources to help students, such as counseling.
St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson spoke about the first pillar.
“All four school districts — Putnam, Flagler, Volusia and St. Johns — will implement education and curriculum on substance use with an emphasis on vaping because that's a real problem in all of our communities these days and on violence," Forson said.
Schools will hold assemblies to educate students in all grade levels on the dangers of substance use and violence. And schools will stress “See something say something,” and continue to make people aware of Fortify Florida, which he said was a great tool for students to report something and help police.
Forson said Larizza would create videos on the risks consequences of criminal behavior.
Flagler County Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore talked about the third pillar, saying the school districts worked together to identify circuit-wide consequences.
“So that again, as we together address a common issue, we address it with common consequences as well as common educational opportunities for our students,” Moore said. “So, this isn't about just providing a consequence, but really around, (as Balgobin) stated, around the awareness of the resources that are available and how we educate our students, as well as their families and this community, around the resources that we have available within our schools to help our students overcome these issues that we have identified.”
Putnam County Superintendent Rick Surrency said they want to be proactive about keeping students safe.
Said Surrency: "Before our kids can learn they have to feel safe and they have to be safe and as you know safety first, success always."