ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — We know that school safety is at the forefront of the minds of many parents, especially after the shooting in Texas.
As a result of the latest mass school shooting, the St. Johns County School District announced enhanced safety measures in their schools.
"Safety and security has always been a top priority for us," says Paul Abbatinozzi, St. Johns County School District Sr. Director of School Services.
When a parent puts their child on a school bus in the morning, the St Johns County School District wants to make sure that children are safe while at school.
At every single school in St. Johns County there's one access point for visitors, and they have to press a button to be both seen and heard by a receptionist before they can be let into the building.
"Our facilities department and their team have gone in and channeled people from being able to access the main hallway where they're directed to a common area, a reception area," says Abbatinozzi, "Then they have to sign in and show identification."
There are more security practices in the schools than just a single access entry point. All 40 of the schools in the district have security cameras, a locked fence that surrounds the school and a law enforcement officer.
The district increased the amount of officers at each school in response to Tuesday's school shooting in Texas.
"We have extra presence at our sites and around our sites," says Abbatinozzi. "Local areas with folks on the road. Even though there's only a few days left in the school year, we're going to be as diligent as possible."
The state of Florida witnessed its own mass school shooting in Parkland in 2018, which led the district to add a new level of security.
"We've added threat assessment teams to all of our schools to follow students who may have at-risk behavior," says Abbatinozzi. "Our security specialists, law enforcement, first responders and administration do risk assessment to look at our schools where we need to enhance safety and security wise."
The district also offers mental health assistance to students and families who feel they may need the extra support in order to ensure that students, teachers and staff are safe while in school.