To set forth requirements relating to school safety and to define certain safety measures that schools are expected to meet. Amendments will address changes as a result of the need to make training available for parents ....

 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

State Board of Education

RULE NO.:RULE TITLE:

6A-1.0018School Safety Requirements and Monitoring

PURPOSE AND EFFECT: To set forth requirements relating to school safety and to define certain safety measures that schools are expected to meet. Amendments will address changes as a result of the need to make training available for parents and guardians on the proper use, and consequences for misuse, of FortifyFL, the mobile suspicious activity reporting tool.

SUMMARY: Office of Safe Schools will require districts to make available a training for parents and guardians of students on FortifyFL, including the consequences for making a threat or false report, prior to the start of each school year. Additional changes will require that the school safety specialist or designee provide the copy of the Florida School Safety Compliance Inspection Report to the school administrator, whether the principal or charter school administrator. The final change is an update to the name of one of the online Federal Emergency Management Agency Independent Study courses required for newly appointed school safety specialists.

SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS AND LEGISLATIVE RATIFICATION:

The Agency has determined that this will not have an adverse impact on small business or likely increase directly or indirectly regulatory costs in excess of $200,000 in the aggregate within one year after the implementation of the rule. A SERC has not been prepared by the Agency.

The Agency has determined that the proposed rule is not expected to require legislative ratification based on the statement of estimated regulatory costs or if no SERC is required, the information expressly relied upon and described herein: The changes are based on observations over the past year. This proposed rule is not expected to have any adverse impact on economic growth, business competitiveness or any other factors listed in s. 120.541(2)(a), F.S., and will not require legislative ratification. Based on the nature of the change and prior experience, there is no increase in regulatory costs is anticipated as a result of the rule changes.

Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 1001.02(1), (2)(n), 1001.11(9), 1001.212(10), F.S.

LAW IMPLEMENTED: 943.082, 1001.11(9), 1001.212(10), 1006.07(2)(m), (3), 1006.13(3)(b), F.S.

A HEARING WILL BE HELD AT THE DATE, TIME AND PLACE SHOWN BELOW:

DATE AND TIME: November 20, 2024, 10:00 a.m.

PLACE: Caribe Royal Orlando, 8101 World Center Drive, Caribbean 1 & 2, Orlando, FL 32821.

THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Julie Collins, Office of Safe Schools, [e-mail].

 

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

 

6A-1.0018 School Safety Requirements and Monitoring

(1) through (4) No change.

(5) Monitoring by the Office of Safe Schools – Process.

(a) through (d) No change.

(e) Unannounced compliance visits by OSS.

1. No change.  

2. Documentation. Within three (3) school days after an unannounced compliance visit, the Office will provide a copy of the completed Florida School Safety Compliance Inspection Report in FSSAT, including photographs or other evidence of noncompliance, to the school safety specialist, the school principal or charter school administrator, as appropriate, and the district school superintendent. The school safety specialist, or his or her designee, will provide a copy to the school principal or charter school administrator, as appropriate. Where the report documents noncompliance, it serves as providing notice of a suspected deficiency.

3. No change.

(f) through (j) No change.

(6) through (9) No change.

(10) FortifyFL.

(a) through (c) No change.

(d) Within the first five (5) days of each school year, each district school board must ensure that instruction on the use of FortifyFL is provided to students in accordance with Section 943.082(4)(b), F.S. Instruction on FortifyFL must be developmentally appropriate and must include the consequences of making a threat or false report involving school or school personnel’s property, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity. Instruction concerning consequences must include disciplinary actions that may occur at school and possible criminal charges.

(e) Annually, each district school board must make available a training for parents and guardians on the use of FortifyFL prior to the start of each school year or at the time of a student’s enrollment if during the school year. This training must explain the potential consequences for anyone making a threat or false report concerning school or school personnel’s property, school transportation, or a school sponsored activity, including disciplinary actions that may occur at school and possible criminal charges. Information concerning criminal charges must include a summary of Sections 790.162, 790.163, 836.10 and 837.05, F.S., and the penalties for violating those statutes. School districts may develop procedures concerning how this training is disseminated.

(11) through (21) No change.

(22) School Safety Specialist Training.

(a) No change.

(b) Within thirty (30) calendar days of appointment, school safety specialists must complete the following online Federal Emergency Management Agency Independent Study courses: Preparedness Multi-Hazard Planning for Childcare Providers; Introduction to the Incident Command System, ICS 100; Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents: A Guide for Schools, Higher Education, and Houses of Worship; Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools; and Planning for the Needs of Children in Disasters. These courses can be found at https://training.fema.gov/. School safety specialists must maintain certificates of completion.

(c) No change.

(23) through (26) No change.

Rulemaking Authority 1001.02(2)(n), 1006.07(4)(a) FS. Law Implemented 1001.11(9), 1001.212(4), (12), (14), (15), 1006.07(4)(a), (6), (7), (9), 1006.12(5), 1006.147, 1006.1493, 1008.386(3), 1012.584 FS. History‒New 7-14-21, Amended 11-23-21, 6-14-22, 9-20-22, 11-22-22, 4-25-23, 9-26-23, 7-2-24,

 

NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Julie Collins, Office of Safe Schools

NAME OF AGENCY HEAD WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Manny Diaz Jr., Commissioner of Education

DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: October 25, 2024

DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAR: October 4, 2024