Every Pasco County school has either an SRO (School Resource Officer) or SSG (School Safety Guard) assigned to it.  Secondary schools (middle and high) have an SRO, while our K8 and elementary schools are staffed with an SSG. The SROs are either deputies or officers of Pasco Sheriff’s Office or Dade City Police Department, respectively.  Our SSGs are employed by Pasco County Schools and attend a rigorous academy to receive certification as a School Safety Guard and complete yearly recertification.  The majority of our SSGs are either retired or former law enforcement, military personnel, or first responders, offering years of experience and knowledge to protect our students’ safety.

When a potential threat is received, it is investigated by the appropriate law enforcement agency.  The law enforcement agency works with the Chief of Safety and Emergency Operations for Pasco County Schools, along with the administration at the respective school/campus.

Messages will be sent via phone/text/email to notify parents if their campus is put on an Controlled Campus status.

An Alert Campus - not much changes on the school operations, but will put the staff on an alert that if they see something to say something.  These threats usually are very low or are not part of the school, but in a close by area to the school that may involve police activity.

A Controlled Campus - limits movement in the school and is a threat that has not been fully investigated and/or is a higher level of concern. The administration of the school can allow limited movement, based on the circumstances, but in practice, staff and students do not move around the school and will stay in a safe location.

At the beginning of each school year students watch age-appropriate videos to review different emergency scenarios.  Then, throughout the school year, various drills are scheduled to practice how students and staff should respond to an actual threat.

Yes, throughout the year, schools practice various drills related to active threats and other events such as fire and weather emergencies.

Potential threats can be reported directly to law enforcement, a school administrator, or through FortifyFlorida at: www.getfortifyfl.com

During an active investigation, if the school is on an Alert Campus or Controlled Campus, no one is allowed to enter or leave campus until the investigation is complete or the Alert/Controlled status is released.  Having parents and/or students attempting to arrive or leave campus during an investigation can impede the process and delay clearing the potential threat.

All secondary schools (middle and high) have a deputy or police officer assigned to their individual campus. This model has been in place for more than 35 years. In 2018, Pasco County Schools implemented the School Safety Guard program to extend coverage to the elementary school campuses. Now all Pasco County schools have armed law enforcement or a certified armed School Safety Guard on campus.

While each individual case is different, and student specific information is protected by FERPA, Pasco County Schools does take threats extremely serious and will work with the appropriate law enforcement agency to hold students accountable for their actions. If a student is arrested for making a threat, and consequently charged with a crime, the school will follow board policy.

Refer to Board Policy 5500 Student Conduct for more information.

We have put funds towards improving the security of all our schools - each school is unique but some areas of improvement are gates and fencing to help reduce access at most of our campuses and a crisis alert system, sometimes referred to as "Alyssa's Alert". This will ensure that campus wide alerts are in place, with actions to be taken, and in certain cases directly connect to emergency services.  All classroom and instructional spaces are locked, and as you may notice when you visit one of our campuses, the doors are locked and you have to be vetted before allowed inside the campus.

We are recognized for our efforts in threat management and safety protocols and continue to look at ways to maintain safety while still focusing on having schools look and feel like a school. We have an SRO or SSG on every campus and often have additional security when warranted.

We are always improving our safety posture and working on and researching new and unique technologies or innovations to assist with this. When funding becomes available, we look at the most efficient way to utilize state and local funds, as well as grants, to continue to build the safest environment for our students, staff, and school campuses.

School Safety is a high priority for Pasco County Schools.

While we do have an SSG or SRO at each campus for immediate response, we also collaborate with Pasco Sheriff's Office on concerns. We look into all situations and communicate the need for support from families. It is important for families to monitor students' activities and to ensure social media is used appropriately.

If you have concerns or know of a potential threat, it should be reported to the appropriate school or law enforcement contacts.

Potential threats can be reported anonymously through FortifyFlorida at:  www.getfortifyfl.com