Florida Mother to Pay for Elementary School's Armed Guard
A Florida mother is footing the bill for a full-time armed deputy at her child’s elementary school, a bill that will total $12,000 over the next two months, according to an article from the New York Daily News.
Laura Lauria is paying $32 per hour to place an off-duty deputy at Old Kings Elementary School in Flagler County, the article says. She made a “verbal commitment” to fund the deputy, Superintendent Janet Valentine told The Daytona Beach News-Journal. A sixth grader by the last name Lauria is enrolled at the school.
Lauria, who runs a company called Police Services Inc., did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The move comes weeks after a gunman shot 20 children and six adults in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. While Flagler County keeps deputies at high schools and middle schools, elementary schools are normally protected by a rotating roster of deputies who take a shift in addition to their duties at the sheriff’s office, the article reports.
Flagler County Sheriff Jim Manfre says that while he appreciates Lauria’s efforts, asking parents to pay for security at schools is a “Band-Aid solution,” the article says.
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
