Student safety is top priority for SWFL schools

Following the Valentine’s day shooting in Parkland, Fla., schools are stepping up their security measures.

One of the main priorities for schools is that children are safe when at school, and parents don’t have to be concerned about their kids while they are at work.

“When our kids go to school we want them to be in a safe place while we’re at work,” said Linda Thompson, who is a grandparent to kids who attend a Lee County school.

For the first time this year, school districts were required to do a security assessment on all buildings. A recommendation that has been made to schools since Columbine shooting, 17 years ago.

Some parents like Tammy Yawn, who have children attending Lee County schools, think this assessment should have been made a long time ago.

“I think they should have been doing it all along,” said Yawn. “They all should and we should all know this now. It’s happening all the time, everywhere,” Yawn said.

The commission investigating the Parkland school shooting, and exploring school safety options, said yesterday that only a small percentage of the state’s public schools already do the once optional security assessment.

Lee County schools is one of them. The district says it started the assessment back in 2014.

Both Charlotte and Collier County schools did not until it was mandated this year.

Parents think taking a look at security at each school building is what’s best for their children.

“I don’t feel that one plan of action for all the schools is going to be as good as an individual plan,” said Thompson.