School Board of Manatee County adds safety and security to tax referendum

Braden River High School football fans were preparing to enter the stadium for the game Sept. 20. 

But before they could get to the bleachers, each person walked through a weapons detection system, which is the latest security enhancement the district has made to improve safety and security in schools.

The Evolv Express Unit, which is similar to the security screeners seen at Disney World and the Tampa Bay Rays stadium, allowed each person to walk through with ease so they could cheer on their team. The only items attendees needed to give to the guardians, which are armed security hired by the district manning the screeners, were stadium chairs and umbrellas. 

The guardians were there in case a weapon was detected during a screening.

If the 1-mill property tax referendum is approved by voters in November, the School District of Manatee County plans to use funds to provide guardians to man the security screeners at more after-school activities, events and programs, among other security enhancements.

Photo by Liz Ramos

School safety and security is a new allocation to the millage referendum, which has a budget of a little more than $75.5 million for 2024-2025. 

In the 2024-2025 school year, the district has budgeted nearly $10.6 million for safety and security with nearly $5.1 million coming from the general fund for salaries and benefits of guardians and other safety and security personnel. Guardians are armed security officers the district employs.

Currently, the Evolv Express Units are used at high school football games. The district has 18 screeners, costing nearly $1.4 million for a four-year lease, that are at each of the district’s seven high schools and are rotating through the middle schools. 

Every day, all high school students must walk through the Evolv Express Unit to enter campus. 

Kevin Chapman, the chief of staff for the school district, said the additional funding allocated from the referendum will allow the district to pay guardians to provide security at athletic events, concerts, plays and musicals as well as other well-attended after-school events.

The cost of obtaining off-duty officer services for after-school events has increased as security concerns have grown. 

In the 2021-2022 school year, the district spent $102,840 on off-duty officer services through the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bradenton Police. In June, the School Board of Manatee County approved a purchase of off-duty officer services for $300,000 annually from the 2024-2025 school year through the 2026-2027 school year. 

Sharon Scarbrough, the executive director of secondary schools, said the principal at each school will have discretion on which events will receive additional security. 

“This additional millage dollars would help (principals) not have to discern between events and be more liberal with having (screeners) at more events to provide that layer of security for families,” she said. “It’s going to get to a point where I think our community is going to expect to see the (screeners) at everything we have.”

File photo

Chapman said the referendum also will fund projects that will make the district’s buildings more secure as well as provide funding for unfunded mandates coming from the state.

The latest is House Bill 1473, an unfunded mandate that requires all gates and campus access points be closed and locked when students are on campus. Those access points must have an attendant if open while students are on campus. When students occupy classrooms and other instruction spaces, the doors must be locked, except between classes. 

The district has budgeted $300,000 in capital funds to abide by House Bill 1473. 

Scarbrough said after upgrades, teachers and staff will be able to swipe a card to open the doors rather than using a simple lock and key. 

She said simple enhancements such as scanning a card to open a door can help schools remain a place focused on educating students while also ensuring students, teachers and staff feel safe on campus with more ease. 

“When you have the traditional lock and key, it makes it a little more cumbersome, and we don’t want to take any learning time away from our students with having to do that,” Scarbrough said. “This helps to streamline the day, provide security and make the learning environment secure.”