Press Releases:

Monroe County Schools Improve Student Safety

KEY WEST (947 words) -- Monroe County Schools, in honor of Florida’s Safe School Week (Oct. 15 – 21) Proclamation made by Governor Jeb Bush, just posted its Safe and Healthy Schools website at www.keysschools.com/departments/ SafeHealthySchools. The site shows changes made with new equipment, staff and student trainings, and updates expected to come for the sake of school safety. While the site was recently posted, its development and the focus on school safety is not new to Superintendent Randy Acevedo. One of his first priorities in earning the people’s vote to run Monroe County Schools was to make the safe school administrator job a full time position – a first in Monroe County with more than 8,340 students and 17 schools and centers in its jurisdiction stretching more than 100 miles over 42 bridges.

Along with tighter security measures on campus, safety tips sent home to parents in school newsletters, and safety drills, Monroe County has full-school lock downs scheduled in October. “Our intent is to decrease response time from local law enforcement and increase staff competence in case one of our campuses should be threatened by crisis or disaster,” said Booker.

That fits with the Monroe County School District Mission Statement, “Our mission is to prepare all students with the skills and experiences needed to become lifelong learners and productive citizens in a stimulating, nurturing, safe and enriching environment.” Booker’s job is to first, ensure campuses are safe and second, create partnerships with parents, businesses and organizations to stimulate, nurture and enrich the environment. “While it is my job I just want to acknowledge and give credit to all the teachers and support staff which include bus drivers, custodians and maintenance crew. They are our first line of defense in recognizing something that’s out of line. Our people are the eyes and ears that keep our kids safe. Our school administrators do a phenomenal job in keeping our faculty and staff trained and ready to respond to an emergency,” Booker said.

Knowledge is power. And this new website for safe schools is that. It has several links for parents to stay informed on local events and issues as well as national ones. For example, Connect with Kids (www.connectwithkids.com) offers a free online monthly newsletter Teen Trends that includes data and articles from major medical universities and authorities on issues affecting teens to help parents make wise choices.

Another tool Booker has engaged is partnerships. Power is in numbers. The numbers of volunteers, appropriately screened in accordance with last year’s Jessica Lunsford Act, and programs offered through partnership continues to grow. One of the most effectual partnerships is with Monroe Youth Challenge Program referred to in short as MYCP. As noted on the new safety and health site, MYCP is listed as a partner in almost all of the safe and drug-free school programs. Last week alone, MYCP sponsored the nation’s leading character development program Primary Focus to make presentations at nine elementary schools to more than 2,000 students. Continuing from October over the next 14 weeks in the seventh grade, Project Alert curriculum is on teacher’s planners for substance abuse prevention of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. The Project Alert curriculum is possible thanks to a dual-partnership with volunteers from Project H.O.P.E.

Equipment was needed to finish the triune power of knowledge and numbers. Five new major advancements in equipment were made this school year. First, thanks to the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) all public schools in Florida received NOAA Weather Radios. Second, all public schools received a lightening detector purchased with capital money. Third, every school in the county received new and improved walkie-talkie repeater radios purchased with funds received from a communications grant awarded by the Florida Department of Education which allow for wide-range reception that work in concrete walls. Fourth, 24 Automated External Defibrillators (AED’s) were recently purchased so all public and charter schools have at least one unit as do most non-school sites. Funds for five were donated by the Fishermen’s Board of Trustees in Marathon and one was donated by Taffi Abt (Mel Fisher’s daughter) in memory of her son and one by school board member, Duncan Mathewson. Booker said, “We are ahead of the curve as many schools in the state are only beginning to get AED’s.” Finally, three satellite phones were purchased for district-wide use in three regions, especially during hurricanes, as learned during Wilma.

With strong leadership in Acevedo, funds spent on new equipment, safety drills, numbers in volunteers, and power in information at the new safety web site, the promise of school safety is on target. Acevedo said, “Sunny Booker is doing an amazing job. I’m proud I made the safe school administrator a full time position because I think it has and will pay off for all our kid’s sake. Her working with all the school principals and their commitment to trainings, new equipment installations, and conducting safety drills has been beneficial to all concerned.”

For more information, please visit www.keysschools.com or call Monroe County Safe School Administrator Sunny Booker at (305) 293-1400 ext. 53319.