Leon County Schools seeking answers after gun found on campus for sixth time since classes began

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A disheartening trend in Leon County Schools: Guns on campus.

On Wednesday, a student at Godby High School was arrested for bringing a weapon on campus.

Staff found a handgun in the glove compartment of the student’s car. It’s the sixth time since the school year began that the district has reported a gun being found on school property in the district.

Leon County Superintendent Rocky Hanna says there have been incidents of students bringing guns to school not just at Godby, but also Ghazvini Learning Center, ACE (Adult and Community Education) and even Griffin Middle School, which he says he finds especially disappointing.

The school district has a zero-tolerance policy on weapons. Students who violated that policy were expelled and sent to the juvenile assessment center.

Possession of a weapon on school property is a felony. Those six students who brought guns to campus will have to appear in court and may later pursue alternative methods to continue their education, such as going to an alternative school or taking the GED and potentially making an appeal to attend community college.

But Hanna says they will not return to the traditional Leon County school system.

“We have to ensure that the 30,000 students who get on the buses in the morning and then dropped off at school, get home safely. And for those six individuals that made a poor choice. Again, that’s going to be a consequence to their action is they will not be back in our schools,” Hanna said.

Hanna added that he will meet with law enforcement and members of the school’s security team next week to discuss where students are acquiring these weapons and the factors causing them to bring them to school.

Hanna encourages the school community to continue speaking up about weapons on campus and says he’s thankful to the students that have come forward so far to report these incidents and help keep their peers safe.

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