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Action News Jax Investigates: No increase in Florida school safety money for years

Action News Jax is investigating why money from the “Safe Schools” fund hasn’t been increased in years.

“Safe Schools” is the primary fund the state of Florida uses to pay for school safety initiatives. The money mostly helps districts pay for school resource officers, but also funds after school activities; and programs for suicide and bullying prevention

Educators have been lobbying for more money every year from state legislators, to no avail.

Documents from the Florida Department of Education show this is the fourth year in a row the DOE will be asking for a total of $74,456,019, as part of the “Safe Schools” fund.

However, for the last seven years, Florida’s school districts have shared $64,456,019. Before that, the state appropriated even more Safe Schools money for school districts.

That money is allocated so that each district is guaranteed a minimum of $62,660. Other factors for how much a district receives include the latest crime statistics in each county.

In Duval County, there is one resource officer at every high school. Officers are shared among elementary schools.