STUART, Fla. — The tense talks over the last few weeks on how to fund school security in Martin County have prompted a renewed look at the options available to districts.
Like many other school districts in the state, Martin County wrestled with the cost of putting what is known as a safe-school officer in each facility.
A state law passed after the 2018 Parkland school shooting gives districts options for providing security.
WATCH BELOW: How Florida schools fund, provide campus security
Many schools rely on School Resource Officers (SROs) who work for local law enforcement agencies. School districts and local police and sheriff's agencies negotiate how much each entity pays.
A few districts, including Palm Beach County, have their own police agencies.
Some school systems can hire trained individuals from private security companies.
Then there is the least expensive option — the Guardian Program — which allows schoolteachers and staffers to have a gun if they are licensed and pass a rigorous program on firearm use.
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WPTV spoke Friday with Lori Alhadeff, the head of the "Make Our Schools Safe" organization.
Alhadeff started the nonprofit after the mass shooting claimed 17 lives, including her daughter, Alyssa.
Alhadeff is now a Broward County School Board member.
She believes more school systems will opt for guardians as the cost of school safety continues to rise, especially in elementary schools.
"The Guardian program is a very strong program, requiring over 200 hours of training, and it's very difficult to pass," Alhadeff said. "And so, it's up to the School Board to decide if it's something they want to do as a threshold."
Many parents say they'd rather have a trained law enforcement officer than an armed teacher in school in an emergency.
But Alhadeff pointed out that guardians work full-time in schools and only cost taxpayers a stipend, which costs taxpayers a fraction of a full-time deputy or police officer.
