TALLAHASSEE—More Florida teachers will be eligible to carry guns in the classroom under a bill Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed on Wednesday, May 8, that immediately implements recommendations from a commission formed after a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland.
The bill expands the “guardian” program that allows school districts to approve school employees and teachers with a role outside the classroom, such as a coach, to carry guns. School districts have to approve and teachers have to volunteer. They then go through police-like training with a sheriff’s office and undergo a psychiatric evaluation and a background check.
The new law expands the program to make all teachers eligible regardless of whether they have a non-classroom role.
Democrats spent hours arguing against the bill, saying it could lead to accidental shootings, or that a teacher could panic and fire during a confrontation with students. Republicans emphasized that the program is voluntary, and that law enforcement in some rural districts could be 15 minutes or more away from a school if a shooter attacks.
The measure also contains a number of other school safety measures, such as wider disclosure of certain student mental health records and mental screening of troubled students. It also mandates greater reporting of school safety and student discipline incidents and a requirement that law enforcement officials be consulted about any threats.
“This legislation continues efforts to proactively enhance coordination between education, law enforcement, and community mental health resources to ensure at-risk students receive the help they need before a tragedy occurs,” said Senate President Galvano in a news release.
He added that the measure will help school districts implement new security and school hardening provisions from legislation passed last year to “prevent those who would seek to harm our children from gaining access to our schools.”
Cruz spent several years in and out of schools for children with emotional and behavioral problems, but attended Stoneman Douglas before being kicked out about a year before the attack.
