SARASOTA, Fla. — The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Sarasota County School Board agreed on a new security contract on Thursday morning.
Sarasota Co. Sheriff worried about school safety plan
Will Sarasota school district police force be ready in time forfirstday of school?
The Sheriff’s Office will put deputies in middle and high schools. The district will pay 80 percent of the costs and the Sheriff’s Office will pick up the rest.
"I thought that it was a very good step from where they were, which was nowhere,” said student Bear Mancinni.
District leaders are starting their own police force to patrol the elementary schools. Sheriff Knight has expressed concerns in the past about the preparedness of the school's police force.
District leaders said they are hiring officers right now. They believe they will be ready to patrol the elementary schools by the first day of school on August 13.
