Last week was the final one of the 2021-22 school year, but in the aftermath of the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, emotions were a bit on edge.
Local law enforcement responded with extra patrols at campuses by all three local law enforcement agen cies. There was also a heightened presence from Osceola County Sheriff ’s deputies at the graduation ceremonies last week at Osceola Heritage Park.
And, going into the summer break, campus safety and security measures will be reviewed, and School Resource Officers and the district’s safety staff will attend training seminars to better harden the county’s schools.
Lester Yeates is the School District of Osceola County’s Director of Safety, Security and Emergency Management. He also has 30 years of law enforcement experience, so he sees Osceola’s schools through those eyes. And, he and his staff have children in county schools.
“We have our kids, but we look at the 70,000 students in our schools as our kids as well and want to keep them just as safe,” he said.
Yeates noted a very close relationship with the Kissimmee Police Department, St. Cloud Police Department and the Sheriff ’s Office.
“I talk to members of their staffs daily,” Yeates said. “We address threats on a daily basis to detect them before they’re a threat on campus. We also use other investigative means including conducting home safety visits through our law enforcement partners.”
After the 2018 deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School less than three hours south of Osceola County, the state mandated certain school safety and security levels, which Yeates said the Osceola district surpasses on many levels.
For instance, every district campus has at least one armed SRO for the entire school day. School staffers have access to a “panic button” app that can be activated to link with law enforcement and create an instant lockdown.
Yeates said singlepoint entry concepts have been implemented for all schools, and as funding comes in through grants and other streams, the district is installing secure entry lobbies.
Drills and training for active assailant situations are conducted monthly, and his staff will be meeting in June with other school safety staffers from around the state to compare notes and get even more ideas.
It’s all in the name of keeping Osceola County’s school campuses safe and secure when they reopen to students on Aug. 10.
