A new school year begins on Aug. 10, and we cannot wait to welcome our students, faculty, staff, parents and volunteers for another great year!
This summer has been full of preparations, and as always, safety is at the top of our priority list.
Safety and Security
Each St. Johns County school has an emergency operation plan that is reviewed and practice regularly. Our school district works closely with local emergency operations and public safety officials, gaining their expertise and input into our safety protocols and procedures.
Each year, a team comprised of school personnel and local law enforcement conduct school site-risk assessments. Safety initiatives — such as having a single point of entry, electronic access, safety perimeter, fencing and increased signage — are all completed to align with these safety assessments.
Additional safety, security, fire and health inspections take place regularly in all of our schools, each of which has a safety committee and threat assessment team that meets frequently to discuss school safety and security. Most of our schools are also designated as shelter locations, to be used in the event of a hurricane or other emergency.
Youth Resource Deputies
I’m pleased to report that this summer, our school board approved the contracts for the upcoming year with the St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJCSO) to provide a Youth Resource Deputy (YRD) for each school. The SAPD will provide three officers to our schools, while SJCSO will provide 43 YRDs, one captain, two lieutenants, five sergeants, five corporals and 20 public service assistants to assist with traffic and safety. The SJCSO added two detectives and a civil citation officer this year as well. Our school district is fortunate to have such a strong law enforcement presence on site in our schools.
The YRDs are a critical resource for students, faculty, staff and parents, as they enhance the safe and orderly environment of our schools. In addition to facilitating required training and drills and assisting the threat assessment teams, the YRDs build positive relationships with our students.
Our school district uses several other safety tools as well. Each school and school bus has an 800 MHz radio that communicates directly with local law-enforcement for emergency situations. We have also implemented a mobile panic alarm system that gives all school, faculty and staff members the ability to send a silent alert for emergency assistance or to lock down a school while simultaneously alerting the SJCSO 911 Dispatch Center. Our entire network of camera systems is also integrated with SJCSO, providing immediate access during a critical incident.
St. Johns County schools have visitor, vendor and volunteer sign-in procedures and badges that are required when visiting a school. All volunteers, vendors and visitors must also have a current state-issued ID and complete a criminal background check by the sheriff’s department and a 50-state sexual offender check prior to accessing our school facilities while school is in session. I encourage every family to begin that process now, as it may take two weeks to process clearance: https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/volunteer.
Our district also uses School Messenger, a mass communication system that sends messages regarding any general or emergency information through instant phone, text or email to communicate with parents and guardians quickly. This is an opt-in system, and your information must be up to date and on file at the school your child attends. If you are not receiving information through the School Messenger platform, please check with your child’s school.
Suspicious activity, tips and concerns, meanwhile, may be anonymously reported by anyone through the FortifyFl app or website, with the information automatically routed to the appropriate law-enforcement agencies and school officials.
Academics
Academic success, of course, is also a top priority for our students, families and schools. One of the indicators for this is through state standardized tests. On June 30, the state released the scores for the new Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, and although we had new standards and a new assessment system, St. Johns County School District students performed well.
Our students outperformed every other school district in the state in 15 of the 21 academic categories available. Additionally, we were tied at the top performance for fourth-grade math. The state will determine school district rankings in the fall once graduation rates and acceleration points statewide have been determined.
These excellent results would not have been possible without the hard work of our students and the support of our wonderful faculty, staff, administrators, parents, volunteers and business partners. Despite the dramatic growth our school district has experienced and the challenges of returning to a traditional learning environment, we continue to have an academically strong school system.
It is such an honor to serve as your School Board member. We are so fortunate to live in a community that supports our schools and our students, who amaze and inspire me every day. If you are interested in volunteering in our schools to help them thrive and excel, please call our district office at 904-547-7500.
