In what seemed like a crossover episode, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez attended last Tuesday’s Osceola County School Board meeting to swear in his newest Special Deputy: Superintendent Dr. Mark Shanoff.
A special deputy, Lopez explained, if someone who is appointed by the Sheriff to do special functions and duties. “Like emergency management…he helped during the hurricanes…security type of work whenever needed,” Lopez said. “He’s going to do a lot of stuff for us.
“We really appreciate the relationship that we have the School Board, and I think it’s important because, you know, the active-shooter training and everything that we do…he’s been really actively involved,” Lopez continued. “I think it’s important when you have someone who’s there and understands what we do and how we do it. I think it’s really important to have someone who gives you guys a direct connect to us, and you have a better understanding how we function.”
Shanoff, who came to the Osceola School District in the summer of 2023, has been active in the community even outside of school functions and duties.
“The special deputy designation signifies the close working relationship between law enforcement partners and the school district,” he said. “I appreciate the opportunities, past, present and future, to train alongside our sworn deputies and experience how they react to critical situations in our schools.”
After taking the oath and receiving his badge, Shanoff returned to his regularly scheduled Board meeting.
