JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County School Board members could consider a policy change that would allow employees, administrators, parents, and contractors to keep certain firearms secured inside their vehicles on school property.
The proposal comes two weeks after Baldwin Middle-Senior High School Principal Michael Smith was criminally cited and reassigned to home duties after a loaded gun was found inside his vehicle on campus.
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The district’s current policy prohibits the possession of firearms on all district properties. Under the proposed revision, administrators, employees, independent contractors, and parents could possess a legally owned firearm inside a vehicle while the vehicle is parked on school property, as long as the firearm is securely encased or otherwise not readily accessible for immediate use.
The proposed policy would not extend that exception to students.
RELATED: Baldwin Middle-Senior High School principal reassigned after firearm found in his vehicle on campus
While Florida law generally prohibits firearms on school property, state law contains exceptions that can allow certain firearms to remain inside vehicles. The proposed district policy cites those state law exceptions.
Jude Bruno, president of the Florida PTA, questioned what the change would mean for student safety and said Duval should address that question before changing its rules.
“Before changing its rules, Duval should explain how this would actually make students safer and how would it be enforced,” Bruno said. “Florida PTA supports trained school resource officers with clearly defined safety responsibilities. Allowing an employee to keep personal firearms in their cars at school is different.”
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Bruno also said parents should have a voice in the discussion.
“If that is a policy stance the district wants to take, then that is a conversation in which the parents who send their children, who send their kids to school, needs to be a part of,” Bruno said.
At least one Baldwin parent was more open to the proposed change.
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“In my opinion, I kind of feel like it’s kind of smart to have employees packing in the parking lot with all the chaos and the wickedness of this world. I get that,” the parent said.
All seven Duval County School Board members were contacted with questions about whether the proposed revision was connected to Smith’s case and which board member introduced the idea, but no responses were received.
The district’s Policy Handbook Review Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday, October 1.
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