IRC parents request additional school security
As gun violence at schools continues to rise, stricter controls on gun purchases remain a hot topic of debate, and more and more parents are afraid to send their children to school. There have already been more shootings, with more victims, so far in the first three months of 2023, than during the same time frame last year.
A group of Indian River County (IRC) parents have seen enough, and are coming together to urge the School Board of IRC to increase focus on IRC Elementary school security. Even though IRC schools remains in compliance with state law requiring all public schools to either have law enforcement or other armed personnel present, IRC schools fall behind in security resources when compared to other southeastern Florida county school districts.
A worried parent explained, “Middle school and High school students need increased security. However; when it comes to an active shooter, these teens can run, they can fight! Elementary aged students are targeted because they are defenseless. We need to take every extra security measures to protect our youngest children.”
The concerned parents met with Jon Teske, Director of School Safety & Emergency Operations and with Sheriff’s Captain Milo Thornton, School Safety Division, who is running for Sheriff of IRC in 2024. After the meeting, Teske and Thornton encouraged parents to take their requests for safer schools to the next School Board of IRC meeting, to be held on Monday, April 24, 2023 at 6:00 p.m., located at the School District of Indian River County at 6500 57th Street.
If you would like to support IRC parents in their effort to make IRC schools safer, please attend the upcoming School Board of IRC meeting. To voice your concerns at the meeting, you will need to arrive at 5:30 p.m. to fill out a Speaker’s Form. If you are unable to attend, a live-stream option of the School Board meeting will be featured on the School District of Indian River County YouTube Channel.
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