HB 1473<\/a>, which mandates classrooms be locked, as well as campus access doors, gates, and other access points, when students are present.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe school safety commission indicated that clearer intent and potential exemptions may be needed from the Legislature for the law, which went into effect this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Classroom doors must be locked at all times, except during changing times during the class period. Certain doors at schools can be left unlocked if the Department of Education approves a waiver, although the only exception for classrooms is during period changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grady Judd, Sheriff of Polk County, said the law is impossible to comply with without exceptions, and the validity of the exceptions can be difficult to determine, such as exactly when a class period changing time starts and ends, because there still can be significant movement throughout the school even during class periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Judd said the officer monitoring compliance in his county feels \u201cboxed up\u201d by the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to back off of it, because the problem is evident, but I think if somehow we were able to explain it that has some kind of dictum to go with the statute, it would be a whole lot easier,\u201d Judd said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe either need the state to explain it or we need to go back to the Legislature and explain what we\u2019re asking the state to explain,\u201d Judd said. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t want to get away from the intent or the purpose of it, but we\u2019re having a really hard time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Florida Department of Education Vice Chancellor Darren Norris said exceptions and exemptions are spelled out in the law but acknowledged it can be hard to know when students stop coming and going during class change times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need something from the state to come down to these folks,\u201d Judd said, voicing complaints from his officers. \u201cJust give me something to explain what all campus access doors mean, because I can\u2019t physically keep them locked and I don\u2019t want to violate the rules, so we need help with some definitions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harsh enforcement concerns<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Judd said he fears unintentional violations of the law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob Gualtieri, Sheriff of Pinellas County, said he trusts determinations of noncompliance with the law will be made with the \u201cright mindset,\u201d and inspections will not consist of \u201caggressively trying to find the most obscure situation just so they can have a violation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe want all of the staff in all of the schools across Florida to realize that all we\u2019re asking for is the best they can under the circumstances to provide that best and safest environment,\u201d Gualtieri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is impossible to draft this with perfection, absolutely impossible,\u201d Gualtieri said. \u201cIt goes back to good faith, common sense, use some judgment, there may be some tweaks \u2026 that maybe we need to allow in a bill this year.\u201d He acknowledged there may need to be some exceptions to the rule for, say, a welding or diesel engine class where ventilation would be needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have a problem in asking the Legislature to go back in next year and add the waiver ability to the classroom doors themselves,\u201d Gualtieri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The commission indicated it may independently or with the Department of Education release a scenario-based training or publication to clarify the law further.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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