KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – As guests learned about the history of the American space program, a couple of hundred people in leadership positions at Brevard Public Schools were at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to learn some other exciting news.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell told them inside the Center for Space Education building that Brevard has reclaimed an A ranking in updated school district grades.
Rendell called the A grade huge news.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“It’s been a few years since we’ve been an A district so just got the news from the state of Florida that we are an A district once again,” he said.
On the verge of another school year, Dr. Rendell also talked to News 6 reporter James Sparvero about the most polarizing topic over the summer in the district - arming staff members under the recently approved guardian program. Brevard Public Schools employees can join the guardian program and carry firearms on campus.
Rendell said those who have been trained by the sheriff’s office this summer are ready to participate in the protection of students and staff.
“We went through a pretty strict vetting process so any of the individuals that even got to the training have gone through many steps to be vetted,” he said.
Rendell said the training applicants went through was intense.
“It’s more rigorous than what the state requires and the Brevard County sheriff’s department has additional training requirements, and so if they’ve made it through all of that, we can trust them to do the job,” he said.
During a June 25 school board meeting, a woman during public comment made school board chair Megan Wright feel threatened.
“If something happens to a child because of your gun crazy, going-with-your-gut instead of data decision, we’re coming for you,” Amy Roub said.
Wright asked Roub if she was making a threat.
“You will have blood on your hands, Roub responded. “How dare you bring guns into the classroom with our children. Nobody wants this,” Roub yelled before Wright asked her to leave the meeting.
Space Coast students return to school Monday, Aug. 12 except for Challenger 7 Elementary School in Port St. John which started school this past Monday in a return to a year-round school calendar.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: