M E M O R A N D U M
To: Honorable Members of the Town Council
From: Mayor Peggy R. Bell
Date: September 26, 2018
Re: Supporting Miami-Dade County School Board's endorsement of Governor Rick Scott's recommendation to redirect unused Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program funds to school districts in support of school safety measures.
REQUEST
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF CUTLER BAY, FLORIDA, SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL BOARD OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY'S ENDORSEMENT OF GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT'S RECOMMENDATION TO REDIRECT UNUSED COACH AARON FEIS GUARDIAN PROGRAM FUNDS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN SUPPORT OF SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES; PROVIDING FOR TRANSMITTAL; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On September 5, 2018, the School Board of Miami-Dade County, Florida (the "School Board") voted to endorse Governor Rick Scott's recommendation that the Joint Florida Legislative Budget Commission (the "Commission") redirect the unused balance of approximately $58 million from the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program (the "Program") to be equitably distributed to school districts to hire school resource and safety officers. In a letter dated September 7, 2018, the School Board requested the support of the Town of Cutler Bay (the "Town") in advocating to the Commission to approve Governor Scott's recommendation (Attachment "A").
The Town has eight (8) public schools, and we have first hand knowledge of the financial challenge that the School Board faces in complying with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act (SB 7026) (the "Act"). If the Town were to assist the School Board in assigning one or more police officers at each school within our community, it would be at an average cost of $150,000 per officer. The Town is simply not able to absorb this cost. The Program provides $67.5 million in funding to allow teachers who perform other duties on campus to voluntarily receive law enforcement training and carry guns in scho...
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