Teachers won’t have guns, PBC School Board decides

Teachers will not be allowed to carry guns in Palm Beach County schools, despite a new state program that permits the arming of school personnel.

The School Board rejected participation in the program, an option approved by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Scott after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland on Feb. 14. School police officers still will be allowed to be armed in Palm Beach County.

By deciding not to participate, the school district loses access to any of the $67 million to be used to train armed staffers through county sheriff’s offices.

Andrew Watt, the school district’s legislative affairs director, said he hopes the state will allow Florida schools to use the money for other security purposes if only a few school districts enroll in the program, known as the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, which was named for the Stoneman Douglas coach killed during the shooting.

The new law also gives Palm Beach County $6 million to place a police officer in every school, including charter schools, and $4.1 million to improve mental health care in schools. Chief Financial Officer Mike Burke pointed out that this money, as well as funding for other security projects approved by the legislature after the shootings, will mean less will be available for teacher salary increases and other essential expenses.

“The Legislature did a little shell game there,” Burke said. “It will make for a challenging