- April 20, 2024
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If the Flagler County School Board decides to participate in the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, the district would have three options, District Safety Specialist Tom Wooleyhan told the School Board recently.
The board is considering adding guardians to the schools beginning in August 2023 to supplement the School Resource Deputies on each of the campuses. Guardians carry weapons and are tasked with preventing or abating active assailant incidents. They must complete a minimum of 144 hours of training. They have no arrest powers or authority to act in any law enforcement capacity.
At a School Board workshop on Sept. 20, Wooleyhan presented three guardian program models and their estimated financial impact on the district.
"It's a large financial impact to our district. There's lot to think about."
—TOM WOOLEYHAN, Flagler Schools safety specialist
The most inexpensive model is training and arming existing district employees who volunteer for the program. Of the three models, this would be the only one in which guardians would not wear uniforms.
Wooleyhan recommended that the volunteers include employees not assigned to classrooms such as principals, assistant principals, deans, guidance counselors, media specialists and other instructional and non-instructional personnel. Possible classroom teacher exceptions would include Junior ROTC instructors, current service members or current and former law enforcement members. The board would have to sign a memorandum of understanding to pay non-12-month employees for their training time.
"They are paid for their training," Wooleyhan said. "We will also have to set and identify procedures for these personnel in an active situation."
The initial cost would be an estimated $153,500, which would include $77,688 for training 12 guardians through the Flagler County Sheriff's Office and about $76,000 for weapons, vests and radios. Annual training costs would be about $2,300 per guardian. If the board should decide to hire 24 guardians, which would include two per school with extras for vacations and absences, the initial cost would rise to $247,020.
The second model would hire new employees to be uniformed guardians. This model is preferred by some district safety specialists, Wooleyhan said. To hire a guardian for each school plus a lead guardian and a guardian coordinator, the initial cost would be $467,056. The guardian positions would be part-time hourly. The coordinator would be a salary position.
The most expensive model would be contracting a vendor to provide guardians, who have already undergone the required training. This is the most expensive option with over $470,000 paid for 10 armed security officers plus over $113,000 for the cost of the security officers' vehicles with a total initial cost of $584,812. Unlike the first two models, there would be no annual training costs involved.
"Obviously Option A is the least expensive way to go, not necessarily the best way to go. I'm not sure yet. I would like to know if we have interest, because I know a lot of people don't want to have anything to do with it. But I'm sure there are people that would be interested."
— CHERYL MASSARO, School Board member
There would be added costs for insurance for at least the first two models, Wooleyhan said. While supplemental coverage for employees in the first model would be $250 ($500 for instructional personnel), the second model would also require health insurance for new employees, which would cost the district $5,000 to $10,000 per employee.
If the board selects one of the models, Wooleyhan presented a timeline with district staff presenting the board a budget for the program in March or April with board approval in April or May and training (for the first or second models) beginning July 1 with the guardian program in place by the beginning of next school year.
The district would then be eligible for a state grant, applied by the Sheriff's Office, to help pay for training and equipment. The total grant money is $6.5 million, so even if all 67 counties apply, the district would be guaranteed a minimum of about $100,000, Wooleyhan said.
"It's a large financial impact to our district," Wooleyhan said of the guardian program. "There's lot to think about."
Board member Cheryl Massaro asked about having a district-wide staff survey gauging interest in employees wanting to become guardians should the board choose to participate in the first model.
"Obviously Option A is the least expensive way to go, not necessarily the best way to go. I'm not sure yet," Massaro said. "I would like to know if we have interest, because I know a lot of people don't want to have anything to do with it. But I'm sure there are people that would be interested. I'm just curious to see what that would look like in our staff."
The board did not set a date for future discussions about the program. But with three new members scheduled to join the board at its November 22 meeting, it is unlikely any decisions will be made before then.
