Gov. Scott asking for $58 million so schools can hire more resource officers

The Associated Press | Treasure Coast Newspapers

Show Caption Hide Caption The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act Lawmakers in 2018 passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act as an effort to make schools safer and restrict firearm access for "dangerous individuals." ANDREW ATTERBURY/TCPALM

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Rick Scott is asking state legislators to give school districts an additional $58 million to hire more school resource officers.

Scott wants to take the money from the state's guardian program, which many of the state's 67 school districts opted against participating in.

Under that program, school districts were eligible to receive money to train school staff to act as armed guardians on school campuses.

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Most districts have tried to hire police officers to meet a new mandate that state legislators passed in the aftermath of the shooting of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Districts have struggled financially to meet the mandate.

Legislators set aside $67 million for the guardian program, but so far only $9 million has been spent.

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