Florida school officials and law enforcement are raising concerns about their ability to comply with a new law that requires more doors and access points to be locked on K-12 campuses.
HB 1473 went into effect July 1 and requires school entrances and exits, including classroom doors, gates and other access points, be locked when students are on campus, reports ClickOrlando. Entrances and exits that are open or unlocked must be actively staffed, with some exceptions.
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The law was created after the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Parkland that killed 17 people and injured 17 others.
HB 1473 requires all classroom doors be locked at all times, except between class times when students are walking to different classrooms, reports Florida Phoenix. Exceptions to this new rule must be approved by the Department of Education, but the validity of the exceptions can be hard to determine.
For example, passing periods can be difficult to nail down because often there is a lot of movement on campus, even when classes are in session.
Will Enforcement of the New Door Lock Rule Be Too Strict?
In addition to the locked entrances and exits mandate, HB 1473 requires districts develop discipline policies for staff who violate the new law’s requirements.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Safety Commissioner Grady Judd, sheriff of Polk County, is asking either the state or legislature for more clarification and an explanation. He’s concerned that schools will unintentionally violate the law.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who is commission chair, said he hopes schools’ compliance attempts will be made in good faith and that those responsible for enforcing the new rules will not nitpick.