School shootings have risen in frequency in the past 25 years and are now at their highest recorded levels. Across the 1997–1998 to 2021–2022 school years, there were 1,453 school shootings according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. In light of this, the Florida Legislature has passed several bills aimed at reinforcing school safety.

     The most recent was Senate Bill 1470 (SB 1470), which states that all schools in Florida must follow security requirements, provide training and refine threat assessment procedures to ensure the safety of all students. This bill was signed into law in early 2025 and was immediately put into place. Furthermore, House Bill 1473 (HB 1473) was put into effect in 2024, mandating the use of FortifyFL as a reporting tool for safety concerns. HB 1473 also required all gates and access points to be locked during the school day.

     For some students, knowing that they are safe at school is vital to their academic success. Being aware that there are protocols set in place helps students feel more secure. This feeling is valid and necessary for student mental health and success. 

     “It makes me feel more secure because there are way too many incidents, and I feel that it [the procedures] prevents some of those incidents,” freshman Elin Quisenberry said.

     While these laws are a start, there needs to be more safety protocols, like having the School Resource Officers, along with school safety specialists, talk directly to students on why we do certain safety procedures, and maybe having a stick or other object in the classrooms to use in the case of having to defend yourself.

     SB 1470 also addresses the idea that students and parents deserve to feel safe when their children are at school. 

     “Every Florida student deserves to feel safe at school, and every parent should be able to put their children on the school bus or drop them off at school in the morning without worrying about whether or not they will make it home that evening,” Florida Senator Danny Burgess said in a press release about SB 1470.

     Safety starts with how students feel on campus, as well as how students act. Students who play around in lockdown drills should be more serious and face the risk of being punished for not being serious. We should also be able to ensure that we can communicate with our parents in the event of an emergency.

     This school year, the Florida Senate created a policy that cell phone use should only be for educational purposes, and it requires a teacher to designate an area for wireless communications devices during instructional time. In middle school, the policy is different; students may not have an electronic device out, even during instructional time. This policy has created some concern among students that, in the event of an emergency, they need to have their phones with them.

     Some students feel that they are safer if they have their phone with them, because they can easily contact their parents or guardians. This concern from students is reasonable, because not all parents check their email immediately. 

     “I feel safer because I can reach my parents whenever I need,” freshman Savannah Dawkins said.

     Some teachers and faculty debate the importance of students’ access to phones. There are School Resource Officers on campus dedicated to protecting student safety, and Florida High uses an app that enables teachers to notify the entire school at a moment’s notice if an emergency occurs.

     “We have School Resource Officers placed strategically around the school to help prevent tragedies from happening,” School Resource Officer Orenthya Sloan said.

     The policy is in place, and I understand why it is there, yet it feels as though we may lose the privilege to have phones with us in the future. I understand that phones are a problem, but for safety reasons, they should be allowed to be in our backpacks or pockets as long as they are not out. I say this because it is not that we have never experienced tragedy near us.

     This past April, school violence came to the Tallahassee community. For the second time in the last 10 years, a shooting occurred on the FSU campus. This incident claimed the lives of two people and injured six others. Our school was rocked as many Florida High alumni attend FSU, and several faculty and staff members have either children or spouses who go to school or work there. Furthermore, in Sept. 2024, many local school districts received threats of violence.  Tragedies like these are what make our students concerned for their safety. This is all too familiar to many students, and it should not be.  While students and staff at Florida High feel safe on campus, preventing school violence requires proactivity from everyone. It is important to remember that if you see something, say something.

The National Institute of Justice reports that most people who commit these violent crimes often have leaked their plans to someone either online or in person.

“Two-thirds of foiled plots in all mass shootings (including school mass shootings) are detected through public reporting,” (National Institute of Justice).

If you hear something, please say something. Everyone’s safety is important. There are several ways to report. You can download the Fortify Florida app and report it there or online via getfortifyfl.com. Our school’s website also has an anonymous reporting tool. Go to fsus.school and click on the menu, where Anonymous Reporting is listed.