Shooting Prompts Florida District To Add Surveillance Tech

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

Manatee County, FL school district administrators are considering outfitting district schools with surveillance cameras after a 33 year-old man was shot and killed near one of its schools last month, according to a report in the southwest Florida Herald Tribune.

Manatee County School Board members moved to beef up security at Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary, a school that went into "lockdown" mode more than a month ago after a fatal shooting a few blocks away.

A plan approved by the Manatee County School Board would add nearly three dozen security cameras, as well as fencing to ring the campus of the Orange Ridge-Bullock Elementary School, where the nearby shooting occurred. Lighting for before-school and after-school activities was also approved.

Ozell Hayes, safety and security specialist for the school district, told the Tribune the district would "do whatever is necessary to make the school secure."

Older schools like Orange Ridge-Bullock, which opened in 1959, feature open campuses with a multitude of buildings, Hayes said. That design makes it difficult to funnel visitors into the main office during school hours, standard practice today, and has left the school open to unwanted visitors.

READ MORE DAILY NEWS


Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at [email protected].

About the Author

Paul McCloskey is contributing editor of Syllabus.

Featured

  • laptop on a library table with a magnifying glass on the screen highlighting the words "Information Literacy" against a background of data charts

    Boise School District Boosts Information Literacy with Gale In Context Databases

    Students in Idaho's Boise School District are learning how to analyze and think critically about the information they read through the use of Gale In Context.

  • three silhouetted education technology leaders with thought bubbles containing AI-related icons

    Ed Tech Leaders Rank Generative AI as Top Tech Priority

    In a recent CoSN survey, an overwhelming majority of ed tech leaders (94%) said they see AI as having a positive impact on education. Respondents ranked generative AI as their top tech priority, with 80% reporting their districts have gen AI initiatives underway, or plan to in the current school year.

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • group of elementary school students designing video games on computers in a modern classroom with a teacher, depicted in a geometric and abstract style

    Using Video Game Design to Teach Literacy Skills

    The Max Schoenfeld School, a public school in the Bronx serving one of the poorest communities in the nation, is taking an innovative approach to improving student literacy.