SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY; THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAMS | Policy Manual

8405 - SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY; THREAT MANAGEMENT TEAMS

Generally
1. The Board is committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and drug-free environment in all District schools.
2. School crime and violence are multifaceted problems that need to be addressed in a manner that utilizes all available resources in the community through a coordinated effort of District personnel, law enforcement agencies, first responders, and families. The Board further believes that school administrators and local law enforcement officials must work together to provide for the safety and welfare of students while they are at school or a school-related event or are on their way to and from school.
3. The Superintendent, in conjunction with the Office of District and School Security and the School Safety Specialist, shall develop a School Safety and Security Plan with input as needed from the local Fire Marshall or designee(s), local law enforcement agencies, representative(s) from emergency medical services, members of the Board, building administrators, representative(s) from the local emergency management agency, local mental health agencies, and teachers and staff.
District School Safety Specialist
1. The Superintendent is responsible for designating the District's School Safety Specialist (DSSS). The DSSS must be a school administrator employed by the District or a law enforcement officer employed by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. The District School Safety Specialist is responsible for the supervision and oversight for all school safety and security personnel, policies, and procedures in the District in conjunction with the Office of District and School Security and the MOU between the Sheriff and the Board.
2. By August 1 of each year, the District will submit the School Safety Specialist’s name, phone number, and email address to the Office of Safe Schools. The District will notify the Office of Safe Schools within one (1) school day whenever there is a change related to the contact information for the School Safety Specialist.
3. Within thirty (30) calendar days of appointment, the District’s School Safety Specialist must complete and thereafter maintain certificates of completion of the following online Federal Emergency Management Agency Independent Study courses: Preparedness 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.
4. With one (1) year of appointment, and annually thereafter, the District School Safety Specialist must earn a certificate of completion of school safety specialist training provided by the Office of Safe Schools.
5. The District’s School Safety Specialist shall earn, or designate one (1) or more individuals to earn, certification as a youth mental health awareness and assistance trainer as set forth in F.S. 1012.584.
6. The School Safety Specialist is responsible for the supervision and oversight for all school safety and security personnel, policies, and procedures in the District, including at charter schools. The School Safety Specialist’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
  1. Reviewing Board policies and procedures annually for compliance with Florida law and applicable rules, including the District’s timely and accurate submission of school environmental safety incident reports (SESIR) to the State pursuant to F.S. 1001.212; The School Safety Specialist is responsible for submitting all Board and District charter school policies and procedures pertaining to the health, safety, or welfare of students to the Office of Safe Schools by July 1 of each year.
  2. Providing, or arranging for the provision of, necessary training and resources to students and staff in matters relating to youth mental health awareness and assistance; emergency procedures, including active shooter training; and school safety and security;
  3. Serving as the District’s liaison with local public safety agencies and national, state, and community agencies and organizations in matters of school safety and security;
  4. Ensuring a school security risk assessment is conducted in accordance with Florida law at each District school using the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool (FSSAT) developed by the Office of Safe Schools;
  5. Conduct annually on or before October 1, in collaboration with the appropriate public safety agencies, a school security risk assessment at each District school using the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool developed by the Office of Safe Schools; The District will report to FLDOE by October 15th of each year that all public schools within the District have completed the assessment using the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool. For purposes of this section, public safety agencies means a functional division of a public agency which provides firefighting, law enforcement, medical, or other emergency services. The District will ensure the accuracy of current school listings within the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool application, including school name, address, and MSID number. The District will report to the Office of Safe Schools via e-mail within five (5) school days of a school opening or closing, or when any other change occurs that impacts the accuracy of the District-provided information in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool.
  6. make unannounced inspection visits to all District schools, including charter schools;
    
    The inspection must be done using the form adopted by the OSS. Any violations discovered must be reported to the Superintendent or charter school principal.
  7. presenting quarterly reports to the Board at a public meeting regarding the OSS inspection of District schools and during the first quarter of every school year, providing the Board with an annual report including the number of schools inspected by OSS the prior year and the number of those schools found to be in compliance;
  8. providing a copy of any Florida School Safety Compliance Inspection Report prepared by OSS following an unannounced visit to the school principal or charter school administrator, as appropriate;
  9. Coordinating with appropriate public safety agencies, as defined in F.S. 365.171 that are designated as first responders to a school’s campus to conduct a tour of such campus once every three (3) years to provide recommendations related to school safety. Completion of such tours and any recommendations must be documented in each school’s security risk assessment with the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool;
  10. Any changes related to school safety, emergency issues, and recommendations provided by the public safety agencies will be considered as part of the recommendations by the District School Safety Specialist to the Board;
  11. Providing, or arranging for the provision of, youth mental health awareness and assistance training to all school personnel as set forth in F.S. 1012.584.
  12. By July 1st of each year, the Superintendent shall certify to the FLDOE, in a format determined by the FLDOE, that at least eighty percent (80%) of school personnel in elementary, middle, and high schools have received the training required under this paragraph.
  13. The training program shall include, but is not limited to, the following:
    1. an overview of mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders and the need to reduce the stigma of mental illness;
    2. information on the potential risk factors and warning signs of emotional disturbance, mental illness, or substance use disorders, including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders, and self-injury, as well as common treatments for those conditions and how to assess those risks; and
    3. Information on how to engage at-risk students with skills, resources, and knowledge required to assess the situation, and how to identify and encourage the student to use appropriate professional help and other support strategies, including, but not limited to, peer, social, or self-help care.
  14. Coordinating with charter schools to address charter school safety requirements as set forth under Florida law and F.A.C. 6A-1.0018. The School Safety Specialist must coordinate with charter school personnel to allow input access to the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool. Where input access is restricted to District personnel, the School Safety Specialist is responsible for gathering information from charter schools so that Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool reporting requirements, including those for Fortify FL, threat assessment teams and active assailant response plans, include data from charter schools;
  15. Completing surveys provided by the Office of Safe Schools regarding Safe School Officer assignment;
  16. Investigating and responding to notices from the Office of Safe Schools containing suspected deficiencies at a District school and at or by a charter school;
  17. Identifying and correcting instances of noncompliance with F.A.C. 6A-1.0018 or any other Florida laws or rules relating to safety at any District school. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, the following:
    1. Resolving deficiencies relating to Safe-School officer coverage by no later than the next school day;
    2. Notifying the Office of Safe Schools within twenty-four (24) hours of any deficiencies relating to Safe-School officer coverage and any instance of noncompliance that is determined to be an imminent threat to the health, safety, or welfare of students or staff. The notification must contain particularized facts beyond noncompliance with rules or Florida Statutes that explain the imminent threat;
    3. Notifying the Office of Safe Schools within three (3) days of any instance of noncompliance not corrected within sixty (60) days.
  18. Notifying the Superintendent no later than the same day of receipt of any notice of suspected deficiency the School Safety Specialist receives from the Office of Safe Schools.
    1. Within one (1) school day after receipt of a Florida school safety compliance inspection report from the Office of Safe Schools that contains a noted deficiency, the School Safety Specialist must acknowledge receipt of the report in writing. The school safety specialist must provide the Office of Safe Schools written notice of how the noncompliance has been remediated within three (3) school days after receipt of the report.
    2. When the notice of suspected deficiency concerns a failure to have a Safe-School officer established or assigned at each school facility, as required by F.S. 1006.12, the School Safety Specialist must respond in writing and verify to the Office of Safe Schools that the school(s) identified in the notice have a Safe-School officer on site by the next school day.
    3. In all other cases, the School Safety Specialist must respond in writing to the Office of Safe Schools within five (5) school days and verify that the District or school has corrected the suspected deficiency, or within that same time period, submit a written plan describing how the District will bring the identified school(s) into compliance. The plan must include an estimated date of completion and an explanation of alternate security measures designed to maintain a safe learning environment.
7. Recommendations of the District’s School Safety Specialist
  1. Based on the findings of the school security risk assessment, the District School Safety Specialist must provide recommendations to the Superintendent and Board which identify strategies and activities that the Board should implement in order to address the findings and to improve school safety and security. The Board will review the school security risk assessment findings and the recommendations of the District School Safety Specialist at a publicly noticed Board meeting to provide the public an opportunity to hear the Board members discuss and take action. The School Safety and Security Plan is, however, confidential and is not subject to review or release as a public record.
  2. The District School Safety Specialist shall report the school security risk assessment findings, recommendations, and the Board's action(s) to the Office of Safe Schools no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the Board meeting.
The Board

As a part of the School Safety and Security Plan, the Board shall verify that it has procedures in place for keeping schools safe and drug-free that include:
1. Safety and security best practices;
2. Appropriate and effective school discipline policies that prohibit disorderly conduct, the illegal possession of weapons, and the illegal use, possession, distribution, and sale of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs by students;
3. Safety and security procedures at school and while students are on the way to and from school while on District transportation;
4. Prevention activities that are designed to maintain safe, disciplined, and drug-free environments;
5. A Code of Student Conduct or policy for all students that clearly states the responsibilities of students, teachers, and administrators in maintaining a classroom environment that:
  1. allows a teacher to communicate effectively to all students in the class;
  2. allows all students in the class the opportunity to learn;
  3. has consequences that are fair, and developmentally appropriate;
  4. considers the student and the circumstances of the situation; and
  5. is enforced accordingly.
Threat Management Coordinator
The Superintendent will designate a Threat Management Coordinator to oversee threat management at all public K-12 District schools, including charter schools sponsored by or under contract with the District, in accordance with the requirements set forth in Florida law and State Board of Education rules. Among other duties as may be assigned, the Threat Management Coordinator shall serve as the primary point of contact regarding the District's coordination, communication, and implementation of the threat management program. The Threat Management Coordinator is also responsible for reporting quantitative data to the Office of Safe Schools in accordance with its guidelines.
The Superintendent will report the name and contact information of the Threat Management Coordinator to the Office of Safe Schools by July 1, 2023. Any changes in the name and contact information of the Threat Management Coordinator will be updated with the Office of Safe Schools within one (1) school day of the change.
Mental Health Coordinator
The Board shall identify a mental health coordinator for the District. The mental health coordinator shall serve as the District's primary point of contact regarding the District's coordination, communication, and implementation of student mental health policies, procedures, responsibilities, and reporting. The mental health coordinator is responsible for:
1. Maintaining records and reports regarding student mental health as it relates to school safety and the mental health assistance allocation under F.S. 1011.62(14).
2. Facilitating the implementation of District policies relating to the respective duties and responsibilities of the District, the Superintendent, and District Principals.
3. Coordinating with the School Safety Specialist on the staffing and training of threat management teams and facilitating referrals to mental health services, as appropriate, for students and their families.
4. Coordinating with the School Safety Specialist on the training and resources for students and District staff relating to youth mental health awareness and assistance.
5. Reviewing annually the District's policies and procedures related to student mental health for compliance with Florida law and alignment with current best practices and make recommendations, as needed, for amending such policies and procedures to the Superintendent and the Board.
Safety and Security Best Practices

The Superintendent or designee shall develop administrative procedures for the prevention of violence on school grounds, including the assessment of and intervention with individuals whose behavior poses a threat to the safety of the school community.

The Board shall adopt, in coordination with local law enforcement agencies and local governments, a family reunification plan to reunite students and employees with their families in the event that a school is closed or unexpectedly evacuated due to a natural or man-made disaster. The reunification plan must be reviewed annually and updated, as applicable.
Active Assailant Response Procedures
1. The District has created and will include assailant response procedures in all School Emergency Operation Plans (SEOP) as part of each individual school’s safety and security plan.
2. The District Active Assailant Response Plan (DAARP) is updated annually by the Office of District and School Security and is included in each SEOP prior to October 1st of each year. It includes, at a minimum, procedures addressing the following:
  1. Security assessments;
  2. Roles and responsibilities of District personnel;
  3. Roles and responsibilities of Safe-School Officers (Policy 8407);
  4. Information sharing;
  5. Training of District personnel and exercises/drills, including training standards;
  6. Identification of Safe Spaces and Command Posts;
  7. Response to the threat of an active assailant;
  8. Response to the presence of an active assailant on school grounds;
  9. Communication with law enforcement prior to and after law enforcement arrives on school grounds;
  10. Responsibilities prior to law enforcement arrival;
  11. Responsibilities when law enforcement arrives on school grounds;
  12. Communication with the public; and
  13. Post-incident recovery.
3. Further, by October 1st of each year, the Superintendent shall certify to the Office of Safe Schools and document in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool that all school personnel have received annual training on the procedures contained in the District’s DAARP.
Persistently Dangerous Schools
1. The Board has set forth the rules with regard to expected behavior in Policy 5500 - Student Conduct and has established the consequences for violating the policy on student conduct in Policy 5600 - Student Discipline. The Board recognizes that not only Federal, but also State law requires that the District report annually incidents which meet the statutory definition of violent criminal offenses that occur in a school, on school grounds, on a school conveyance, or at a school-sponsored activity, as well as those incidents that would be a Gun-Free Schools Act violation. It is further understood that the Florida Department of Education will then use the data for the offenses identified in the Department’s Unsafe School Choice Option Policy to determine whether or not a school is considered "persistently dangerous".
2. Pursuant to the Board’s stated intent to provide a safe school environment, school administrators are expected to respond appropriately to any and all violations of the Code of Student Conduct, especially those of a serious, violent nature. In any year where the number of reportable incidents of violent criminal offenses in any school exceed the threshold number established in State law, the Superintendent, or designee, shall convene a meeting of the building administrator, representative(s) of District and School Security, a representative of Student Services, and any other individuals or agencies deemed appropriate for the purpose of developing a plan of corrective action that can be implemented in an effort to reduce the number of these incidents in the subsequent year.
3. The Superintendent, or designee, shall make a report to the Board about this plan of corrective action and shall recommend approval and adoption of it.
4. In the unexpected event that the number of reportable incidents in three (3) consecutive school years exceeds the statutory threshold and the school is identified as persistently dangerous, the Superintendent, or designee, shall offer eligible students the opportunity to transfer to another school within the District that serves the same grades. The transfer shall be completed in a timely manner.
5. In addition, the Superintendent shall convene a meeting of the building administrator, representative(s) of District and School Security, and any other individuals or agencies deemed appropriate for the purpose of developing a plan of corrective action that can be implemented in an effort to reduce the number of these incidents in the subsequent year.
Victims of Violent Crime

The Board further recognizes that, despite the diligent efforts of school administrators and staff to provide a safe school environment, an individual student may be a victim of a violent crime in a school, on school grounds, on a school conveyance, or at a school-sponsored activity. In accordance with Federal and State laws, the eligible student shall be offered the opportunity to transfer to another school within the District that serves the same grades. The transfer shall be completed in a timely manner.
Threat Management Teams
1. The purpose of the threat management team is to establish a process focusing on behaviors that pose a threat to school safety while serving as a preventative measure to identify needs and provide support to students. Threat management teams are responsible for the coordination of resources, assessment, and intervention with individuals whose behavior may pose a threat to the safety of school staff or students consistent with the model policies and procedures developed by the Office of Safe Schools which addresses early identification, evaluation, intervention, and student support. All threat management teams shall use the operational process prescribed in the Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Model as required by F.S. 1001.212 and F.A.C. 6A-1.0019.
2. Each school-based threat management team must meet as often as needed to fulfill its duties of assessing and intervening with persons whose behavior may pose a threat to school staff or students, but no less than monthly. Threat management teams shall maintain documentation of their meetings, including meeting dates and times, team members in attendance, cases discussed, and actions taken.
3. Location and Membership
  1. Threat assessment teams are located at each school in the District and composed of individuals with expertise in counseling, instruction, school administration, and law enforcement. All members of the threat management team must be involved in the threat assessment and threat management process and final decision-making. At least one (1) member of the threat management team must have a personal familiarity with the individual who is the subject of the threat assessment. If no member of the threat management team has such familiarity, an instructional personnel or administrative personnel who is personally familiar with the individual who is the subject of the threat assessment must consult with the threat management team for the purpose of assessing the threat. The instructional or administrative personnel who provides such consultation shall not participate in the decision-making process.
    1. The counseling team member must be a school-based mental health services provider who is able to access student mental health records.
    2. The law enforcement team member must be a sworn law enforcement officer, as defined by F.S. 943.10, including a School Resource Officer, school safety officer, or other active law enforcement officer. At a minimum, a law enforcement officer serving on a threat assessment team must have access to local Records Management System information, the Criminal Justice Information System, and the Florida Crime Information Center and National Crime Information Center databases. Officers serving on school-based threat assessment teams must also have clearance to review Criminal Justice Information and Criminal History Record Information.
  2. The Board authorizes the Superintendent to create procedures for the purpose of:
    1. identifying team participants by position and role;
    2. designating the individuals (by position) who are responsible for gathering and investigating information; and
    3. identifying the steps and procedures to be followed from initiation to conclusion of the threat assessment inquiry or investigation.
4. Responsibilities and Activities of Threat Management Teams
  1. The responsibilities and activities of Threat Management Teams include, but are not limited to, the following:
    1. identification of individuals in the school community to whom threatening behavior should be reported and provide guidance to students, faculty, and staff regarding recognition of threatening or aberrant behavior that may represent a threat to the community, school, or self;
    2. all threat management teams shall use the Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Instrument when evaluating the behavior of students who may pose a threat to the school, school staff, or students, and to coordinate intervention and services for such students;
    3. consulting with law enforcement when a student exhibits a pattern of behavior, based upon previous acts or the severity of an act, that would pose a threat to school safety;
    4. consulting with law enforcement when a student commits more than one (1) misdemeanor to determine if the act should be reported to law enforcement;
    5. if a preliminary determination is made by either the Threat Management Team or through the suicide risk inquiry, that a student poses a threat of violence or physical harm to himself/herself or others, the determination will be reported to the Superintendent or designee. An attempt will be made, which shall contact the other agencies involved with the student and any known service providers to share information and coordinate any necessary follow-up actions. Upon the student’s transfer to a different school, the Threat Assessment Team shall verify that the intervention services provided to the student remain in place until the Threat Assessment Team of the receiving school has the opportunity to review and assume the recommendations of the initiating team/school.
    6. if a preliminary determination is made by the Threat Management Team or through the suicide risk inquiry that a student poses a threat of violence to himself/herself or others or exhibits significantly disruptive behavior or need for assistance, authorized members of the Threat Management Team may obtain the student’s criminal history record information as provided in F.S. 985.047.
  2. Members of the Threat Management Team may not disclose any criminal history record information obtained pursuant to this paragraph or otherwise use any record of an individual beyond the purpose for which such disclosure was made to the Threat Management Team.
  3. Members of the Threat Management Team shall create procedures related to engaging crisis supports and/or resources.
5. Sharing of Information
  
  The District and other agencies and individuals that provide services to students experiencing, or at risk of, an emotional disturbance or a mental illness and any service or support provider contracting with such agencies may share with each other records or information that are confidential or exempt from disclosure under F.S. Chapter 119 if the records or information are reasonably necessary to ensure access to appropriate services for the student or to ensure the safety of the student or others.
6. Immediate Mental Health or Substance Abuse Crisis
  
  If an immediate mental health or substance abuse crisis is suspected, school personnel shall follow policies established by the Threat Management Team to engage crisis supports and/or resources. Crisis resources, including, but not limited to, mobile crisis teams and school resource officers trained in crisis intervention shall provide emergency intervention and assessment, make recommendations, and refer the student for appropriate services. Onsite school personnel shall report all such situations and actions taken to the Threat Management Team, which shall contact the other agencies involved with the student and any known service providers to share information and coordinate any necessary follow-up actions. Upon the student’s transfer to a different school, the Threat Management Team shall verify that the intervention services provided to the student remain in place until the Threat Management Team of the receiving school has the opportunity to review and assume the recommendations of the initiating team/school.
7. All Threat Management Team members must be trained on the Department’s behavior threat assessment instrument in accordance with Florida law.

Threat Assessment Report

The threat management team shall prepare a threat assessment report using the Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Instrument. A threat assessment report, all corresponding documentation, and any other information required by the Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Instrument in the threat management portal is an education record.
Behavior Threat Assessment Instrument Training

All threat management team members must be trained on the Florida Harm Prevention and Threat Management Instrument in accordance with Florida law.
1. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, district and school-level teams must be designated before the start of the school year. Team members who have not previously completed training must complete Florida Model training before the start of the school year. Those appointed to threat management teams after the start of the school year must complete Florida Model training within sixty (60) days of appointment.
2. Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, district and school-level team members who have been fully trained in a previous school year must complete an annual refresher training provided by the Office of Safe Schools within the first sixty (60) days of school.
3. All threat assessments initiated under CSTAG that are not completed by January 1, 2024, or where a student is still being actively monitored by the threat management team on January 1, 2024, must be reassessed under the Florida Model. While new information may be gathered by the school-based threat management team Chair, the Chair may rely on the information gathered while using CSTAG to determine what level of concern to classify the student's behavior, and if a student support management plan should be implemented as a result. If a Student Support Management Plan is implemented, the student must be monitored for the minimum period that aligns with the new Florida Model.

Threat management and assessment Records shall be maintained in accordance with Policy 8330 - Student Records and Florida law.

Referral to Mental Health Services

All school personnel who receive training pursuant to F.S. 1012.584 shall be notified of the mental health services that are available in the District.
School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting

The Superintendent is responsible to ensuring the accurate and timely reporting of incidents related to school safety and discipline in accordance with Florida law and rules promulgated by FLDOE. Parents of District students will be timely notified of threats, unlawful acts, and significant emergencies pursuant to F.S. 1006.07 (4) and (7).
Student Crime Watch Program
1. The Board shall implement a Student Crime Watch Program to promote responsibility among students and improve school safety. Through a Board resolution, the Board will require each school principal to distribute information (including a reference to Policy 8406) at their respective schools notifying students and the community as to how they can anonymously relay information concerning unsafe and potentially harmful, dangerous, violent, or criminal activities, or the threat of these activities, to appropriate public safety agencies and school officials.
2. The Board shall promote the use of “Speakout” and “FortifyFL” as tools to notify law enforcement and school officials about information anonymously.
Records Related to Compliance with F.A.C. 6A-1.0018

The District and all school staff will retain records demonstrating that the requirements of F.A.C. 6A-1.008 are met and provide such records to the Office of Safe Schools upon request.

Revised 9/10/19
Revised 2/8/22
Revised 7/30/24
Revised 10/15/24
Revised 4/22/25