Superintendent plans series of meetings with Parkland parents

Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie has scheduled four meetings with parents of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students.

Kathy Koch, chief spokeswoman for the school district, announced the sessions on Saturday.

Earlier this week, Runcie canceled a meeting he and several School Board members had planned to hold at the Parkland school, where 17 people were killed and 17 injured in a Feb. 14 shooting.

Runcie has been extensively criticized by many Parkland families for what they see as an inadequate and slow response to calls for improved school security almost 12 months after the massacre.

Koch said by email Saturday the original meeting with Runcie

and the Stoneman Douglas community, which had been scheduled at the school on Thursday, was canceled “due to concern for student and parent safety.”

It was expected to be the first time Runcie met with Stoneman

Douglas parents, other than those whose children were killed or injured during the massacre.

Koch said the new meetings are only for parents and guard-

ians of students in specific grades. No one else will be allowed to attend, Koch said, and identification will be required for admission. She said the “intent is to have School Board Member Lori Alhadeff attend as many meetings as possible.”

Messages from the school to parents on Saturday afternoon said the meetings would be held at the school at 6 p.m. on weeknights starting Thursday for parents and guardians of ninthgraders.

MIKE STOCKER/SUN SENTINEL Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie has scheduled four meetings with parents of Stoneman Douglas High School students.