ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — As kids head back to school across Florida in the coming weeks, the state has a new tool designed to help school districts identify, assess and provide intervention services to students whose behavior may pose a threat to themselves of others.
The Florida Schools Safety Portal (FSSP) was unveiled by the state Department of Education on August 1st and was one of the provisions included in an Executive Order issued by Governor Ron DeSantis in February.
The FSSP will aggregate information from a variety of sources, including social media and local law enforcement records as well as information from the state Department of Children and Families and the state Department of Juvenile Justice.
The Education Department was quick to address concerns about what information will be kept on the database.
“The FSSP will not be used to label students as potential threats,” a press release on the database read. “But rather is a tool to evaluate the seriousness of reported or identified threats and to assist in getting professional help when necessary.”
According to the state Department of Education, only people who are already authorized to access criminal justice data will have access to the information on the database. That information could include disciplinary reports, social media monitoring data, Baker Act admissions and information from law enforcement agencies.
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