Community looks to tackle school violence

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In the wake of several reports of violence in and around local schools, parents and school leaders have begun discussing how to handle these incidents.

At a meeting Friday night at Carver Middle School, Orange County leaders and parents discussed different ways to keep kids safe.

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Read: Shots fired in East River High School parking lot, district says; no injuries reported

Things such as more parental engagement and a stricter school district disciplinary policy were just some of the ideas mentioned.

Commissioner Bakari Burns proposed hiring safety coaches to work with students.

Read: Guns, mental health and parenting: Carver Middle School community tries to tackle violence

“Challenging behavior before it escalates to needing police intervention,” Burns said.

Many parents were most concerned about guns, citing an incident earlier this month where dozens of kids ran from a shooting not far from campus after school let out.

Read: School Board member holds meeting to address gun violence at an Orlando middle school

Loretta Jones, whose grandson was the target of the shooting, said she liked the proposals she heard and backed up comments that parents needed to have more oversight of their teens.

“I think there’s going to be some action,” Jones said. “I really do.”

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Carver Middle School Meeting

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