JACKSONVILLE, Fla — Enhanced security measures are set to continue through Friday at Duval County high schools.
DCPS spokesperson Tracy Pierce said the weapons security checks and additional law enforcement on campuses is in response to “several” violent threats on social media this week, which are currently being investigated by school administrators and district police.
They will then re-evaluate for next week, which will be partially based on where the multiple ongoing investigations into the online threats stand.
However, Pierce said, some of these extra safety measures were already on their minds because the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting was three years ago this upcoming Sunday.
“Our sense of security goes up when we hit certain anniversary dates, Marjory Stoneman Douglas being one of them. Columbine, believe it or not, is still one of them – where you see escalation of this type of violent rhetoric in social media platforms and things like that," he explained. "So, we always heighten our guard during this season anyway.”
DCPS will let parents know if enhanced security will continue.
“It's a little inconvenient, but it leads to a safer school," Pierce said. "We're going to take those steps.”
The violent threats being investigated include chats by Sandalwood High School students Tuesday, in its now shut down Duval Teams online app.
The hundreds of messages stemmed from the district’s February “You Matter” campaign focused on suicide prevention.
Organizers of Wednesday’s “Black History Month Matters” protest told First Coast News they were disappointed when DCPS seemed to overshadow Black History Month with its own campaign.
Pierce said that was never the district’s intention, but it's responding to those students’ concerns.
“We're currently suspending the campaign that we had going while we work," he explained. "The objective of the campaign was always to let our students know that we care deeply for them. And if they have any emotional struggles that are in their lives, to get them to resources that can help.”
Sandalwood administrators and DCPS officials also met with protest organizers Thursday to discuss what other changes they would like to see.
Principal Saryn Hatcher also wants all of his students to know that they can come to him at any time to share their own thoughts.
“I think people protest because they feel as though they're not heard, or they don't necessarily have the ear of someone," Hatcher said. "But I'm the type of principal with my children here have my ear. They can always talk to me."