PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Members of the Palm Beach County School Board are concerned about Tasers on school campuses, but not for the reason you may think.
The board on Wednesday reviewed what's called school security risk assessments, which is when school police and other district leaders look at their campuses and procedures to see how they can enhance school safety.
Board members are also concerned about Tasers on campuses.
"Tasers are considered weapons. Guns, knives, zero tolerance on the campuses," Chief Sarah Mooney of the School District of Palm Beach County's Police Department said at the beginning of last school year, addressing the issue of students bringing tasers on campus.
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Tasers are considered "zero tolerance" weapons, which means students will get expelled for having one.
But the Palm Beach County School Board wants flexibility.
Chairman Frank Barbieri wants the Florida Legislature to differentiate Tasers from other deadly weapons, noting that many students caught with them don't understand the consequences.
"We go through this almost on a monthly basis where we are expelling a kid who had no intention, doesn't show it to anybody, doesn't take it out, has no intent to hurt anybody," Barbieri said at a Sept. 6 school board meeting. "Had it in her backpack because mom and dad bought it for her because she walks through a bad neighborhood on her way from the bus, and she has it there just in case she needs it if somebody tries to get her."
School district records show at least seven Palm Beach County students were caught with Tasers on high school campuses last school year.
The Palm Beach County School Board has added the issue of seeking "flexibility in the Zero Tolerance Policy regarding Tasers for student expulsions" to its legislative priorities. That means this is one of the topics board members want our local lawmakers to address during the Florida legislative session, which starts in January of next year.