Florida Administrative Code
6 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
6A - State Board of Education
Chapter 6A-1 - FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION
Section 6A-1.0018 - School Safety Requirements and Monitoring

Universal Citation: FL Admin Code R 6A-1.0018

Current through Reg. 50, No. 187; September 24, 2024

(1) The purpose of this rule is to set forth requirements relating to school safety, reporting, and training. The rule also provides notice of the procedures and criteria utilized by the Office of Safe Schools to monitor school districts and individual schools for compliance with those requirements.

(2) Definitions.

(a) "Active threat" means any situation that presents an immediate and ongoing danger to the safety of students, staff and visitors, such as active assailant, hostage situation, or bomb threat.

(b) "After-action report" means a document completed following an emergency or fire drill that summarizes what took place during the event, analyzes the actions taken by participants, and provides areas needing improvement.

(c) "Department" means the Florida Department of Education.

(d) "Discharge" means to fire a gun or firearm.

(e) "Discipline" means a safe-school officer receiving a behavior-related official reprimand.

(f) "Dismissal" means a safe-school officer is permanently relieved of his position. Dismissal or termination is involuntary and initiated by the employer, including firings or other removals for cause.

(g) "Emergency drill" means a method of testing emergency plans and responses to incidents other than fire, including active threats, natural disasters, severe weather, hazardous materials, reunification, and other critical incident scenarios.

(h) "Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool" or "FSSAT" means the site security risk assessment tool used by school officials at each school district and public school site in the state, including charter schools, to conduct security assessments, as provided in Section 1006.1493, F.S.

(i) "FortifyFL" means the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool that allows students and members of the community to report information anonymously concerning unsafe, potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities, or threats of such activities to law enforcement or school officials as described in Section 943.082, F.S.

(j) "Law enforcement officer" means the persons identified in Section 943.10(1), F.S.

(k) "Office" means the Department's Office of Safe Schools.

(l) "Safe-school officer" means a school resource officer, a school-safety officer, a school guardian, or a school security guard, as identified in Sections 1006.12(1)-(4), F.S.

(m) "School" means a public K-12 school, including a charter school, with a Master School Identification Number (MSID) number as provided under Rule 6A-1.0016, F.A.C., but does not include:
1. Settings where instruction is provided in a county jail or state prison, in a Department of Juvenile Justice facility or program, in a hospital, or while a student is homebound;

2. Schools that provide only prekindergarten or adult education;

3. Technical centers under Section 1004.91, F.S.

A list of schools meeting this definition will be provided to the School Safety Specialist annually by July 1. "School" also includes the Florida Virtual School (Section 1002.37, F.S.), the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (Section 1002.36, F.S.), and Developmental Research (Laboratory) Schools (Section 1002.32, F.S.). These entities also function as "school districts" as defined in paragraph (2)(p) of this rule.

(n) "School administrator" means the school personnel identified in Section 1012.01(3), F.S.

(o) "School day" means any day, including a partial day, where students are physically present at school for instructional purposes, as defined by Section 1011.60(2), F.S., and Rule 6A-1.045111, F.A.C.

(p) "School district" or "district" means a Florida school district or district school board, the Florida Virtual School (Section 1002.37, F.S.), the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (Section 1002.36, F.S.), and Developmental Research (Laboratory) Schools (Section 1002.32, F.S.), and universities or Florida College System institutions that sponsor a charter school (Section 1002.33(5), F.S.).

(q) "School safety specialist" means the district school superintendent's designee per Section 1006.07(6)(a), F.S., responsible for the oversight of all aspects of school safety and security within the school district and who is a school administrator or a law enforcement officer.

(r) "SESIR" means School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting, as identified in Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C.

(s) "Suspected deficiency" means that there is at least some evidence that a district or school is not acting in compliance with the safety requirements set forth in this rule.

(3) District contact information.

(a) By August 1 of each year, each school district must submit the name, phone number, and email address for each school safety specialist to the Office at SafeSchools@fldoe.org.

(b) When any changes occur to the information required by paragraph (3)(a), the school district superintendent must update the information within one (1) school day.

(4) Monitoring by the District School Safety Specialist.

(a) School safety specialists are responsible for the supervision and oversight for all school safety and security personnel, policies, and procedures in the school district, including at charter schools.

(b) Districts must establish policies that require the school safety specialist, or his or her designee, to review, in conjunction with the district school superintendent, the school district and charter school policies and procedures at least annually for compliance with state law and rules, as provided by Section 1006.07(6)(a)1., F.S. Districts must submit all school district and charter school policies and written procedures pertaining to the health, safety or welfare of students to the Office of Safe Schools by September 1 of each year.

(c) School safety specialists, or their designees, must investigate reports of noncompliance with school safety requirements and must conduct unannounced inspections at least annually of all public schools within their district, including charter schools. These unannounced visits must occur while school is in session. The results of the annual unannounced inspection must be documented on the Florida School Safety Compliance Inspection Report.

(d) Districts must establish policies that explain the process the school safety specialist will use to identify and correct instances of noncompliance at a school with a requirement in this rule, or other state law or rules relating to safety. Such policies must require the following:
1. Deficiencies relating to safe-school officer coverage must be resolved by the next school day;

2. Notification to the Office within twenty-four (24) hours at SafeSchools@fldoe.org of any deficiencies relating to safe-school officer coverage and any instance of noncompliance that is determined to be an imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of students or staff. Notifications made under this subparagraph must contain particularized facts beyond noncompliance with rule or statute that explain the imminent threat; and

3. Notification to the Office within three (3) days at SafeSchools@fldoe.org of any instance of noncompliance not corrected within sixty (60) days.

(e) School safety specialists must report violations of campus access control and classroom safest area requirements (Section 1006.07(6)(f), F.S., and subsection (8) and paragraphs (17)(c)-(d) of this rule) by administrative or instructional personnel to the district school superintendent or charter school administrator, as applicable.

(f) At least quarterly, the school safety specialist must report to the district school superintendent and the district school board any noncompliance by the school district with laws or rules regarding school safety.

(5) Monitoring by the Office of Safe Schools - Process.

(a) The Office will monitor compliance and investigate reports of noncompliance with the school safety requirements identified in this rule through announced and unannounced inspections of all public schools, including charter schools. Monitoring and investigations may also include on-site visits to schools and district facilities or offices, review of school and district websites and publications, interviews with students and staff, and review of media reports and other information submitted to or received by the Office.

(b) District and school staff must keep records demonstrating that the requirements in this rule are met and must provide those records to the Office upon request.

(c) The Office will provide notice of a suspected deficiency to the school safety specialist at the email address provided in paragraph (3)(a). Failure to maintain accurate contact information with the Office will not extend the time for correction.

(d) Districts must establish a policy concerning when the notice of suspected deficiency is provided by the school safety specialist to the district's superintendent.

(e) Unannounced compliance visits by OSS.
1. Timing. Triennially (every three years), the Office will conduct at least one unannounced inspection of all public schools, including charter schools, while school is in session. Schools with documented areas of noncompliance will be reinspected within six (6) months.

2. Documentation. Within three (3) school days after an unannounced compliance visit, the Office will provide a copy of the completed Florida School Safety Compliance Inspection Report in FSSAT, including photographs or other evidence of noncompliance, to the school safety specialist, the school principal or charter school administrator, as appropriate, and the district school superintendent. Where the report documents noncompliance, it serves as providing notice of a suspected deficiency.

3. Acknowledgement. The school safety specialist must acknowledge receipt of the completed report via FSSAT within one (1) school day after posting.

(f) Time to respond and opportunity to cure.
1. When the notice of suspected deficiency concerns a failure to have a safe-school officer established or assigned at each school facility, as required by Section 1006.12, F.S., the school safety specialist must respond in writing and verify that the school(s) identified in the notice have a safe-school officer on site by the next school day. Issues related to safe-school officer coverage must be remedied by the next school day following notice from OSS, regardless of whether a completed Florida School Safety Compliance Inspection Report has been sent.

2. In all other cases, the school safety specialist must respond in writing within three (3) school days after receiving written notice of a suspected deficiency or after the completed Florida School Safety Compliance Inspection Report is posted. The response must verify that the district or school has corrected the suspected deficiency, or must include a written plan describing how the district will bring the identified school(s) into compliance. A plan submitted under this paragraph must include an estimated date of completion and an explanation of alternate security measures designed to maintain a safe learning environment.

(g) Upon verification of compliance or correction of a deficiency, the Office will provide a written notice of resolution to the school safety specialist.

(h) When a suspected deficiency has not been timely resolved, the Office will advise the Commissioner of Education who will facilitate compliance to the maximum extent provided under law, as provided in Section 1001.11(9), F.S.

(i) Compliance with school safety requirements set forth in this rule and in statute are subject to enforcement by the Commissioner of Education and the State Board of Education using mechanisms provided in Section 1008.32, F.S.

(j) The Office will provide quarterly reports to each district school superintendent and school safety specialist identifying the number and percentage of schools, including charter schools, that received unannounced inspections, or were reinspected during that quarter, and the number and percentage of inspected schools that had no school safety requirement deficiencies.

(6) Safety Requirements. The Office will monitor schools and school districts for compliance with the safety requirements set forth in subsections (7) through (23) of this rule.

(7) Safe-school officer. School districts are required to establish or assign at least one safe-school officer at each school facility within the district, as provided in Section 1006.12, F.S.

(a) A school facility means a public K-12 school, including a charter school, with a Master School Identification Number (MSID) number as provided under Rule 6A-1.0016, F.A.C., with the following exceptions:
1. Schools with separate MSID numbers that are located at the same physical location and are co-located with each other are a single school facility.

2. Schools that are located at separate physical locations and are not co-located, but share one MSID number are separate school facilities.

3. A school facility does not include:
a. Schools without a physical location for instruction of students, such as virtual schools, virtual instruction programs, virtual course offerings, franchises of the Florida Virtual School and virtual charter schools;

b. Settings where instruction is provided in a county jail or state prison, in a Department of Juvenile Justice facility or program, in a hospital, or while a student is homebound;

c. Schools that provide only prekindergarten or adult education;

d. Technical centers under Section 1004.91, F.S.; and

e. Private schools, regardless of whether or not their students receive state scholarship funds under Chapter 1002, F.S.

(b) A safe-school officer must be present, at a minimum, during the school day when the school facility is open for instruction, as defined by the district school board calendar.

(c) Districts must establish a policy for safe-school officer assignment outside of the regular school day, including during before and after school, summer school, during extracurricular activities, and for school-sponsored events. In establishing this policy, districts must consider factors such as the number of persons present, the ratio of staff members to students, and other safety measures available.

(d) District school safety specialists must ensure that each safe-school officer in the district that is a sworn law enforcement officer, as defined under Sections 1006.12(1) and (2), F.S., has completed mental health crisis intervention training through a curriculum developed by a national organization with expertise in mental health crisis intervention. The training must meet the requirements set forth in Section 1006.12(6)(a), F.S.

(e) Survey of safe-school officers. At least annually, the Office must conduct a survey regarding safe-school officer assignment by school. School safety specialists are responsible for completion of the survey.

(8) Campus Access Control. School districts must ensure that all public schools comply with the following:

(a) All gates or other access points that restrict ingress to or egress from a school campus must remain closed and locked when students are on campus. A gate or other campus access point may not be open or unlocked, regardless of whether it is during normal school hours, unless:
1. The gate or other access point is attended or actively staffed by a person when students are on campus;

2. The use is in accordance with a shared use agreement pursuant to Section 1013.101, F.S.; or

3. The school safety specialist, or his or her designee, has documented in FSSAT that the gate or other access point is not subject to this requirement based upon other safety measures at the school, or based upon compliance with the Fire Code. Documentation in FSSAT must include a description of the other safety measures present and a photograph of the gate or access point not subject to the requirement.

(b) All campus access doors, gates, and other access points that allow ingress to or egress from a school building must remain closed and locked at all times to prevent ingress, unless:
1. A person is actively entering or exiting the door, gate, or other access point or;

2. The school safety specialist, or his or her designee, has documented in the FSSAT that the open and unlocked door, gate, or other access point is not subject to this requirement based upon other safety measures at the school. Documentation in FSSAT must include a description of the other safety measures present and a photograph of the classroom door not subject to the requirement.

(c) All school classrooms and other instructional spaces must be locked to prevent ingress when occupied by students, unless:
1. The door is open between class periods when students are moving between classrooms or other instructional spaces; or

2. The door is actively staffed by a person standing or seated at the door.

(9) Alyssa's Alert. School districts are required to implement a mobile panic alert system that meets all requirements of Section 1006.07(4)(c), F.S. Districts are authorized to select, free of charge, a system under Department contract, or locally fund a system of their choice. The systems under contract with the Department are posted at http://www.fldoe.org/safe-schools/.

(a) School districts are required to maintain current listings of mobile panic alert systems implemented by all public schools, including charter schools, within their district. Such list must include the school name, address, and MSID number, and vendor or application implemented. School districts are required to provide this list to the Office at SafeSchools@fldoe.org annually by August 1. Thereafter, school districts must update this information within five (5) school days of a school opening or closing, or when any other change occurs that impacts the accuracy of district-provided information.

(b) Mobile panic alert systems must include mobile devices placed throughout each school facility. In determining the number and placement of devices needed to afford all staff members the ability to silently and easily activate a panic alert in the event of an on-campus emergency, districts must consider using a combination of fixed panic alert buttons, mobile and desktop applications, landline phone capabilities, and wearable panic alerts (such as on a lanyard).

(c) School districts must include Alyssa's Alert in their local emergency policies and procedures required by Section 1006.07(4)(a), F.S. The Alyssa's Alert policies and procedures must be developed in consultation with the county 911 authority and local emergency management office to ensure that the system selected by the district integrates with local public safety answering point (PSAP) infrastructure to transmit calls and mobile activations.

(d) Any time the mobile panic alert system fails to connect to PSAP, the school safety specialist must notify the superintendent, the mobile panic alert system vendor and the Office at Alyssas.Alert@fldoe.org immediately, but no later than within twenty-four (24) hours.

(10) FortifyFL.

(a) School districts are required to maintain current school listings in the FortifyFL application, including school name, address, and MSID number. School districts are required to update FortifyFL within five (5) school days of a school opening or closing, or when any other change occurs that impacts the accuracy of district-provided information.

(b) School districts are required to maintain current contact information (telephone number and email address) in the FortifyFL application for each school's administrator and for the school safety specialist.

(c) School districts are required to promote FortifyFL, as provided in Section 943.082(4)(b), F.S. Districts are required to:
1. Advertise FortifyFL on the district website, on school campuses, in newsletters, and in school publications;

2. Install the FortifyFL app on all mobile devices issued to students;

3. Bookmark the FortifyFL website on all computer devices issued to students; and

4. Advertise that someone who knowingly submits a false tip through FortifyFL may be subject to further investigation by law enforcement, and may be subject to criminal penalties under Section 837.05, F.S.

(d) Within the first five (5) days of each school year, each district school board must ensure that instruction on the use of FortifyFL is provided to students in accordance with Section 943.082(4)(b), F.S. Instruction on FortifyFL must be developmentally appropriate and must include the consequences of making a threat or false report involving school or school personnel's property, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity.

(11) Threat management.

(a) School districts must have policies and procedures for threat management and threat management teams in compliance with Rule 6A-1.0019, Threat Management.

(b) Notification to Parents.
1. Each district must establish policies to provide notification to parents of threats and unlawful acts or significant emergencies as defined in Section 1006.07(4)(b), F.S., that occur on school grounds, during school transportation, or during school-sponsored activities.

2. District policies must address the timing, content, scope, and manner of notification, circumstances when law enforcement must be consulted, and the person or entity with responsibility for parental notification, and involvement of the threat management team. In making these determinations, district policies must take into consideration the nature of the reported threat or incident, whether the threat or incident is ongoing or resolved, whether the threat is low, medium or high, and whether there is an imminent threat of harm to students and the campus community.

3. In the case of an imminent threat of harm to students, including an active assailant incident or hostage situation, notification to parents must be made as soon as practicable. Such notification should be made in consultation with local law enforcement and first responders in order to avoid compromising the safety of students and the efficacy of the emergency response and investigation.

4. In determining the content of notifications to parents, districts must consider including specific information about the threat or incident necessary to inform parents and safeguard the community as determined by the threat management team, or other person or entity responsible for parent notification. Such information may include the date and time of the incident, the location and nature of the threat or incident, how and whether the threat or incident was resolved, a description of the suspect (where applicable), crime prevention and safety tips, and crime and threat reporting information.

5. Notifications must be made in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. s. 1232g, 34 C.F.R. Part 99, and Section 1002.22, F.S.

(12) SESIR. Each district superintendent must designate persons responsible for SESIR reporting for their district and ensure that those persons receive live or online training, as provided in subsection 6A-1.0017(10), F.A.C.

(13) Zero-Tolerance Policies and Agreements with Law Enforcement.

(a) Each district must have zero-tolerance policies, as provided by Section 1006.13, F.S.

(b) Each district must have an agreement with the county sheriff's office and local police department for reporting acts that are required to be reported to law enforcement, which must at a minimum include the incidents identified in Rule 6A-1.0017, F.A.C.

(c) Each district must adopt a cooperative agreement with the Department of Juvenile Justice regarding enforcement of no contact orders, as provided by Section 1006.13(6), F.S.

(14) School Security Risk Assessments and the FSSAT.

(a) Annually, by August 1, school districts are required to ensure accuracy of current school listings, for their district within the FSSAT application, including school name, address, and MSID number. School districts are required to report to the Office via FSSAT within five (5) school days of a school opening or closing, or when any other change occurs that impacts the accuracy of district-provided information in FSSAT.

(b) Each school safety specialist is required to contact the Office to obtain access to FSSAT within three (3) school days of appointment.

(c) Each year, the school safety specialist must complete a school security risk assessment on or before October 1 at each public school in their district using the FSSAT, as provided in Section 1006.07(6)(a)4., F.S., and Section 1006.1493, F.S. The school security risk assessment is not required for virtual schools or programs that do not have a physical school site.

(d) School safety specialists must report by October 15 each year in the FSSAT that required school security risk assessments are completed, as provided in Section 1011.62(15), F.S.

(e) School safety specialists must provide recommendations to the district school board and the district school superintendent, identifying strategies and activities the board should implement to improve safety and security, as provided in Section 1006.07(6)(a)4., F.S.

(f) Within thirty (30) days after the district school board meets to receive such findings, but not later than November 1, school safety specialists must submit a district best-practices assessment in the FSSAT which includes the school security risk assessment findings and recommendations as provided in Section 1006.07(6)(a)4., F.S.

(g) Each school district must develop policies that allow charter school personnel input access to the FSSAT or where input access is restricted to district personnel, develop policies for gathering information from charter schools so that FSSAT reporting requirements, including those for Fortify FL, threat assessment teams and active assailant response plans, include data from charter schools.

(15) First Responders' School Safety Recommendations.

(a) The district's school safety specialist must coordinate with public safety agencies, as defined in Section 365.171, F.S., that are designated first responders to a school's campus to tour each school's campus once every three (3) years and to provide recommendations related to school safety, as provided in Section 1006.07(6)(b), F.S.

(b) Completion of such tours and any recommendations must be documented in each school's security risk assessment within FSSAT.

(c) The school safety recommendations made by public safety agencies must be included in the school safety specialist's report to the superintendent and school board.

(16) Emergency and fire-drills.

(a) Policies. Districts must develop policies and procedures for emergency drills and fire drills in consultation with the appropriate public safety agencies to include, at a minimum, law enforcement, fire service, and emergency management.

(b) After-action report. An after-action report must be completed following each emergency drill and fire drill. After-action reports must identify the type of drill, location and date of the drill, participants, and any required involvement of law enforcement or other public safety agencies. In addition, the after-action report must describe actions taken by participants, must analyze areas of success and areas where improvement is needed, and include input from participating public safety agencies and a plan for corrective action. After-action reports must be submitted to the district school safety specialist for review fifteen (15) calendar days following drill completion. School staff must keep copies of after-action reports and provide those records to the Office upon request as outlined in paragraph (5)(b) of this rule.

(c) Requirements for all emergency drills and fire drills.
1. All occupants of a building or any other location where an emergency or fire drill is held must participate in the drill.

2. During emergency drills, fire drills and during actual emergencies, schools must use plain language to communicate the nature of the emergency and instructions to students and staff. Plain language means communication that can be understood by the intended audience, which is free of coded language, jargon, and acronyms, and meets the purpose of the communicator.

3. Districts must vary the conditions of emergency drills and fire drills. Drills must be held at both expected and unexpected times and under varying conditions that require school staff, students and building occupants to take protective actions based on the specific circumstances of the simulated incident.

4. Districts must vary the time of day in which emergency drills and fire drills are held. In setting the drill schedule, districts must consider drills beginning at nonstandard times, such as within an hour of the start of the school day, during lunch, when students are between classes, or within an hour of the end of the school day.

5. Emergency drills and fire drills must test all applicable functions included in the threat scenario, such as panic buttons, participant movement (lockdown, shelter-in-place, or evacuation), simulated communications with first responders, simulated notification to parents, and appropriate protective actions, such as turning off lights, and covering windows.

6. Emergency drills and fire drills must be conducted in accordance with developmentally appropriate and age-appropriate procedures. Districts are authorized to develop policies that provide for accommodations for drills conducted by exceptional student education (ESE) centers, as defined in Section 1003.57(1)(a)1.a., F.S. District accommodations for drills conducted at ESE centers, if any, must be included in the written policies and procedures for exceptional students that are submitted to the Department in accordance with subsection 6A-6.03411(2), F.A.C.

7. An actual emergency or other event, such as a false alarm, that elicits a schoolwide response including participant movement and appropriate protective actions, may substitute for one of the six required emergency drills.

(d) Requirements for specific types of drills.
1. Fire drills. Elementary, middle and high schools must conduct fire drills in accordance with the Florida Fire Prevention Code, located at https://www.myfloridacfo.com/division/sfm/bfp/florida-fire-prevention-code.

2. Emergency drills.
a. Elementary, middle and high schools are required to conduct six (6) emergency drills every school year that are separate and nonconcurrent with fire drills. One emergency drill must take place within the first ten (10) school days of the beginning of the school year, and the remaining drills must take place at least every forty-five (45) school days that school is in session. Four (4) of the six (6) emergency drills must address active threats. The remaining two (2) drills must address other emergency events, such as severe weather, natural disasters, hazardous materials, or reunification.

b. Active assailant drills. District school safety specialists must coordinate with the sheriff in their county to determine which law enforcement officers are responsible for responding to each school in their district in the event of an active assailant emergency and must provide those officers a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours' notice prior to conducting an active assailant emergency drill, pursuant to Section 1006.07(4)(a), F.S. These law enforcement officers must be physically present on each school campus and directly involved in the execution of active assailant emergency drills, unless their presence is determined to be unnecessary by the sheriff. Each school must keep a record of the names of the law enforcement officers who were present for each active assailant drill and must provide those records to the Office upon request, in accordance with paragraph (5)(b) of this rule.

(17) Active Assailant Response Plans.

(a) Each district school board must adopt an active assailant response plan, as provided in Section 1006.07(6)(c), F.S. Active assailant response plans must include, at a minimum, plans and expectations for responding to an active assailant situation using the following three (3) strategies: evading or evacuating, taking cover or hiding, and responding to or fighting back.

(b) All school personnel must be trained annually on the procedures in the district's active assailant response plan. Completion of this annual training for all school personnel must be documented in the FSSAT by October 1 of each year.

(c) All school principals must consult the school safety specialist to ensure that classrooms and other instructional spaces are clearly and conspicuously marked to designate the safest areas in each classroom or other instructional space where students may shelter in place during an emergency. Clear and conspicuous means that it should be easily observable and apparent where the safest area is and its purpose, without having to ask questions. Students must be notified of these safe areas within the first ten (10) days of the school year.

(d) If it is not feasible to clearly and conspicuously mark the safest areas in a classroom or other instructional space, the school safety specialist, or his or her designee, must document such determination in FSSAT, identifying where affected students must shelter in place.

(18) Family Reunification Plans. Each district school board must adopt, in coordination with local law enforcement agencies and local governments, a family reunification plan to reunite students and employees with their families in the event that a school is closed or unexpectedly evacuated due to a natural or manmade disaster. This reunification plan must be reviewed annually and updated, as needed. Individual school plans must be consistent with district policies. At a minimum, district reunification plans must address:

(a) Identification of potential reunification sites;

(b) Training for employees;

(c) Multiple methods to effectively communicate with family members of students and staff; and

(d) Methods to aid law enforcement in student and staff identification.

(19) Student Identification Cards. Each district must establish policies pursuant to Section 1008.386(3), F.S., requiring that student identification cards issued to students in grades 6 through 12 include telephone numbers for national or statewide crisis and suicide hotlines and text lines.

(20) Bullying and Harassment Prevention.

(a) Each school district must adopt a policy prohibiting bullying and harassment of students and employees that is consistent with the Department's Model Policy Against Bullying and Harassment and meets all requirements in Section 1006.147(4), F.S. The policy must be reviewed at a minimum every three (3) years.

(b) Each school principal must implement the district's policy in a manner that is ongoing throughout the school year and is integrated with the school's curriculum, bullying prevention and intervention program, student discipline policies, and other violence prevention efforts.

(21) Youth Mental Health Awareness and Assistance Training. Each district school safety specialist must ensure that all school personnel within his or her school district receive youth mental health awareness and assistance training, as provided in Section 1012.584, F.S.

(22) School Safety Specialist Training.

(a) Each district school superintendent must designate a school safety specialist for the district that is either a school administrator employed by the district, or a law enforcement officer employed by the sheriff's office located in the school district, as provided by Section 1006.07(6)(a), F. S.

(b) Within thirty (30) calendar days of appointment, school safety specialists must complete the following online Federal Emergency Management Agency Independent Study courses: Multi-Hazard Planning for Childcare; Introduction to the Incident Command System, ICS 100; Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents: A Guide for Schools, Higher Education, and Houses of Worship; Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools; and Planning for the Needs of Children in Disasters. These courses can be found at https://training.fema.gov/. School safety specialists must maintain certificates of completion.

(c) Within one (1) year of appointment, and annually thereafter, school safety specialists must earn a certificate of completion of school safety specialist training provided by the Office.

(23) Reporting Safe-School Officer Discipline, Dismissal or Discharge of Firearm.

(a) Discharge of a weapon. The district school superintendent, charter school administrator, or a respective designee must notify the Office when a safe-school officer assigned to any school facility in the district discharges a firearm in the exercise of safe-school officer duties, other than for training purposes, as provided in Section 1006.12(5), F.S. Notification must be made no later than seventy-two (72) hours of the incident by submitting Form SSON-2023 to SafeSchools@fldoe.org.

(b) Officer dismissal or discipline.
1. The district school superintendent, charter school administrator, or a respective designee must notify the Office when a safe-school officer assigned to a school facility in the district has been disciplined for misconduct or has been dismissed from their duties as a safe-school officer by their employer, including in cases where the officer is reassigned or moved to another school location, whether by a school district, charter school, law enforcement agency, or private security company, as provided in Section 1006.12(5), F.S. Notification must be made no later than seventy-two (72) hours of the dismissal or disciplinary action by submitting Form SSON-2023 to SafeSchools@fldoe.org.

2. The district school superintendent, charter school administrator, or a respective designee must notify the Office when there is an allegation of misconduct that results in a safe-school officer being placed on administrative leave or reassigned pending completion of an investigation using the procedure set forth in subparagraph (23)(b)1. Within fifteen (15) days of completion of the investigation, updated information regarding the result of the investigation must be provided to the Office.

(c) School districts must implement procedures to ensure that charter schools, law enforcement agencies, and private security firms employing or contracting with safe-school officers timely report discipline and dismissal of safe-school officers and any discharge of an officer's weapon outside of training activities, so that districts can meet the reporting requirements of this subsection.

(24) Charter School Safety Requirements.

(a) Monitoring of safety requirements for a charter school is the responsibility of the district's school safety specialist. The Office, as provided in subsection (5) of this rule, will provide any notices of suspected deficiency occurring at or by a charter school, to the district's school safety specialist for investigation and response.

(b) To ensure that a district school safety specialist is able to monitor and report on school safety and security at a charter school, each charter school must:
1. Provide contact information in the manner and frequency required by the school safety specialist;

2. Timely respond to requests for information and access made by the school safety specialist and the Office related to safety requirements set forth in this rule; and

3. Coordinate with the school safety specialist on curing suspected deficiencies identified by the specialist and the Office.

(c) Charter schools and their governing boards are responsible for meeting the safety requirements set forth in this rule. All safety requirements as set forth in subsections (6)-(18), (21) and (23) apply to charter schools, with any changes to the requirements set forth below:
1. Safe-school officer.
a. District school safety specialists are responsible for ensuring that all charter school facilities in their district have at least one (1) safe-school officer assigned and present on campus while school is in session.

b. Each charter school is authorized to establish its own policy on when a safe-school officer must be assigned to a school facility for extracurricular activities and for school-sponsored events or adopt the district's policy.

c. District school safety specialists must keep accurate records of the number and type of safe-school officers assigned to each charter school in the district.

d. Districts and charter school governing boards must work together to determine the type of safe-school officer under Section 1006.12, F.S., that will be assigned to each charter school. Any of the safe-school officer types permitted under Section 1006.12(1)-(4), F.S., may be assigned to a charter school.

2. Charter schools sponsored by a university or Florida College System institution must annually report to the Office by August 1 the name, title, and contact information for the person responsible for the duties imposed upon district school superintendents under this rule and must provide the name of the entity that functions in place of a school board. The person designated in place of a superintendent should be the chief executive officer or administrator with general oversight authority for the school, including oversight of the school safety specialist.

(25) Safety Requirements for Non-Traditional Districts.

(a) Virtual Schools. Virtual schools and their governing boards are responsible for meeting the safety requirements set forth in this rule, with any changes to the requirements set forth below:
1. Except for the requirement to complete the district best practices assessment found in paragraph (14)(f), subsections (7)-(9), (14)-(18), and (23) of this rule are inapplicable to schools without a physical location for instruction of students, such as virtual schools, virtual instruction programs, franchises of the Florida Virtual School and virtual charter schools.

2. Florida Virtual School may meet the requirements of paragraphs (13)(b) and (c) with policies that address referral and consultation with law enforcement, and enforcement of no contact orders.

(b) Florida Virtual School, Developmental Research (Laboratory) Schools, and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind must annually report to the Office by August 1 the name, title, and contact information for the person responsible for the duties imposed upon district school superintendents under this rule and must provide the name of the entity that functions in place of a school board. The person designated in place of a superintendent should be the chief executive officer or administrative head of the school with general oversight authority for the school including oversight of the school safety specialist.

(26) The following forms are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part of this rule. Copies may be obtained from the Florida Department of Education, 325 West Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400.

(a) Safe-School Officer Notification Report, Form SSON-2023 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-15259) effective April 2023.

(b) Model Policy Against Bullying and Harassment for K-12 Schools, Form PABH-2022 (http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-14266), effective June 2022.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(2)(n), 1006.07(4)(a) FS. Law Implemented 1001.11(9), 1001.212(4), (12), (14), (15), 1006.07(4)(a), (6), (7), (9), 1006.12(5), 1006.147, 1006.1493, 1008.386(3), 1012.584 FS.

New 7-14-21, Amended 11-23-21, 6-14-22, 9-20-22, 11-22-22, 4-25-23, 9-26-23.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Florida may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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