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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Linda Cobbe, 813-794-2717 (w), 813-361-8349 (c)

Statement on School Safety Legislation

Land O’ Lakes, FL – (May 2, 2019) – Pasco County Schools has received

numerous inquiries today about the district’s position on a section of CS/CS/SB 7030.
On Wednesday, the Florida House of Representatives approved this bill, which
implements legislative recommendations of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Public Safety Commission. It passed the Senate on Tuesday, April 23. One provision
of the bill, which still must be signed by the governor before becoming law, removes the
legal prohibition against classroom teachers serving as armed school guardians.
Despite the likelihood of this bill being signed into law, there are no plans under
consideration to allow any Pasco County Schools employees to carry firearms on
school board property, unless they are employed for the specific purpose of protecting
the security of students and staff. In addition, no school board member has requested
that the superintendent pursue allowing teachers or other non-security employees to
carry firearms.
School safety guards and the district’s director of safety and security are the
only school board employees authorized to carry firearms on school board
property. School resource officers, who are employees of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office or
local police agencies, also are authorized to carry firearms on school board property in
their official capacity.
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Linda E. Cobbe
Public Information Officer
Pasco County Schools
20425 Gator Lane, Building 8
Land O’Lakes, FL 34638
813-794-2717 (O)
813-361-8349 (C)
www.pascoschools.org [pascoschools.org]
Twitter: @cobbelinda / @pascoschools
Facebook: pascoschools

All email to and from Pasco County Schools employees is public record and subject to review by media and anyone
who requests access under Florida’s Public Records law (Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, Government in the
Sunshine). Only emails that contain confidential student information protected by FERPA may be considered exempt
from public records.