'Even if it means giving up my own life': Clay Co. graduates 13 more school guardians

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — With school starting Tuesday in Clay County, the school district has now nearly doubled its Guardian Program.

The Clay County School District said this school year, nearly every school in the county will have two armed officers.

For security reasons, the guardians’ names and faces are kept confidential.

Thursday, Action News Jax spoke exclusively with one of the guardians, also called School Safety Officers.

“Our job is to stop an active assailant,” he said.  “Protect the kids at all cost.”

In addition to school police, Clay County will now have 27 guardians in schools.

“As you see from the shooting that happened in Dayton, Ohio, less than 30 seconds, you look at the mass casualties you had,” the guardian said.  “We need to make sure that we stop that as quickly as possible so that way we don’t have a greater loss of life.”

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John Ward, the school district’s Director of Operations, Safety and Security said the guardians’ salaries cost taxpayers $938,000.

Action News Jax asked if having two armed officers on campus is redundant and too pricey.

“It’s the safety of our kids and the times we're in, nowadays,” Ward said.  “I think it’s truly the safety and security of our children and you cannot put a price tag on that.”

Ward added that schools with two officers are chosen strategically, and the two men or women will not ever be in the same area within the school.

The guardians are only guaranteed this school year, and the board will decide what happens next year.

However long they’re here, the guardians said they’re prepared to do whatever it takes to protect our schools.

“Even if it means giving up my own life, I’ll do what’s necessary,” the guardian said.

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