FACT SHEET: An Information Resource

Following the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, information has been expected, requested and provided by Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) to the public. This heartbreaking tragedy has prompted reviews of District systems, protocols, programs and records. In this climate of voluminous demands for information, the District has strived to respond as quickly as possible with the information available at the time.  When new information is discovered, the District has shared updates as part of our ongoing commitment to transparency.

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BCPS Seeks Court Guidance to Release Independent Review

After being denied permission from Nikolas Cruz’s attorneys to release an independent external review regarding Cruz’s history at Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), the District will now make a second attempt through the court system to release the document. 
 
Attorneys for the District have filed a request for a declaratory judgment at the Broward County Courthouse to find a legal way to release the report. The hearing seeks a court decision as soon as feasible.
 
“We proactively sought this review about how the District served Cruz through his lifetime in the system. I have been clear all along that this would be released in full no matter the findings,” said BCPS Superintendent Robert W. Runcie. “The public has a right to know what this review found, but we are now forced to seek guidance from the courts to do so legally, properly and quickly.” 
 
The report was produced by the Collaborative Educational Network, which conducted a review of the educational services provided to Cruz, who is charged in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting tragedy on February 14, 2018. The report also includes recommendations to the District.
 
Superintendent Runcie announced in March that the review was being conducted and that its findings would be made public this month. A number of Florida and federal laws, including the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibit the release of student educational and medical information unless granted by the student or a court order; Cruz’s public defender rejected the District’s request to release this information about Cruz.
 
                                                                                                         

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has more than 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS app.

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BCPS Announces 2018 Summer Resiliency Schedule and Resource Guide

2018 Summer Resiliency Schedule and Resource Guide Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is offering summer activities, therapeutic services and family-oriented activities as part of Districtwide Resiliency efforts. BCPS partners with local community and national wellness organizations to offer these programs.

The 2018 Summer Resiliency Schedule and Resource Guide offers information including:

• Broward County Resiliency Center support groups

• June – August calendar of events

• Summer camps

• Area activities

• Activities at libraries

• Resources and support

To view the 2018 Summer Resiliency Schedule and Resource Guide, visit bit.ly/2ljedcA.

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has more than 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app. 

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BCPS is Proud to Host the 2018 National Speech & Debate Tournament Competition Takes Place June 17 – 22, 2018

National Speech and Debate Tournament Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is proud to host the 2018 National Speech & Debate Tournament. The championship tournament, which is sponsored by the National Speech & Debate Association, takes place June 17 –22, 2018, with competitions at a variety of District schools and other locations in Broward County.  The national event includes the best debate students from across the nation, with approximately 8,000 middle and high school students participating. Competition categories include traditional debate, public speaking and interpretation of literature.

 

BCPS is honored to be represented at the National Speech & Debate Tournament by approximately 300 students from 30 District schools. BCPS offers the largest debate initiative in the world, with approximately 15,000 students participating in debate programs at every middle school and high school, and expanding in elementary schools. 

 

In addition, BCPS is partnering with the National Speech & Debate Association and Students Demand Action to kick-off the national tournament with a special event, Powerful Voices. Meaningful Changes.  This event showcases the BCPS Active Voice Project, which aims to empower students to make their voices heard as they express their views and participate actively in an open exchange of ideas.  The Powerful Voices. Meaningful Changes. event takes place Saturday, June 16, 2018, at 4 p.m. at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center (Grand Ballroom, Third Floor), located at 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. Media interested in covering the Powerful Voices. Meaningful Changes. event are asked to RSVP by contacting Mike Rieker, Marketing & Advocacy Director for the National Speech & Debate Association, at mike.rieker@speechanddebate.org or (515) 447-8884.

 

Media interested in covering the National Speech & Debate Tournament, including the finals competitions taking place on Thursday, June 21 and Friday, June 22, can contact Mike Rieker (contact information is listed above), Megan West at megan.west@browardschools.com or Justin Weaver at justin.weaver@browardschools.com.

 

For more information, visit https://www.speechanddebate.org/nationals/.

 

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has more than 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS app.

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Terrorists attack Ahmadiyya mosques in Pakistan

Year
2010
Month Day
May 28

As Friday prayers came to a close on May 28, 2010 in Lahore, Pakistan, seven terrorists wielding guns, grenades and suicide vests stormed into two crowded Ahmadi Muslim mosques and opened fire, killing 94 victims and injuring more than 120. The coordinated attacks took place just minutes apart.

At the Bait-ul-Noor Mosque in Model Town—an upscale neighborhood in Lahore—people ran for their lives as three gunmen entered with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades, opening fire on security personnel and worshippers alike. The attack lasted more than one hour as the attackers shot into the horrified crowd. Twenty-seven people were killed.

Several miles away, near Lahore’s main railway station, another three attackers barged into the Dar-ul-Zakir mosque with the same destructive intentions. They sprayed bullets into the congregation and took several hundred people hostage. A three-hour standoff ensued, as police and terrorists exchanged gunfire. Two of the attackers then detonated their suicide vests, killing 67.

The nightmare didn’t end for survivors the day of the mosque attacks. A few days later, gunmen attacked the intensive-care Unit of Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital, where victims and one of the alleged attackers were recovering. Twelve more people, including police officers and hospital staff, were killed. The attackers escaped.

A Punjab provincial chapter of the Taliban took responsibility for all the attacks.

Although the incidents came as a horrifying surprise, a leader at the Model Town mosque expressed that they had been receiving threatening phone calls in the weeks prior to the attacks. When Mosque leaders reached out to the police for more security, they received no response.

Unfortunately, threats and violence are nothing new for the Ahmadi, who are always met with discrimination from majority Muslim sects. Though the Ahmadi consider themselves Muslim, Pakistani law does not. Even an act as simple as declaring themselves Muslim is considered blasphemy under the law, and can be punished with fines, prison time or death. Sunni Muslim conservatives have led a recent campaign to ostracize the Ahmadis, and Sunni extremists have made them the targets of violence.

The victims of the attacks were buried in Rabwah—the home to the Ahmadi’s religious headquarters. Although Pakistani ministers, politicians and other prominent figures issued statements of condemnation toward the attackers and their actions, none of them attended the services—likely due to fear of political and religious backlash for publicly supporting the much-maligned sect.

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School Board Approves Safe Havens to Perform Security and Risk Assessment

Today, the School Board of Broward County, Florida unanimously approved a contract with Safe Havens International, Inc. (Safe Havens) to provide independent security and risk assessment consultant services for Broward County Public Schools. To watch the discussion at the School Board meeting, visit https://eduvision.tv/l?eAADmg.
 
Safe Havens will conduct comprehensive risk assessments of every District school (this does not include charter schools) in Broward County.  The assessments will be completed in two distinct phases to expedite the completion of the work.  The first phase will include a physical assessment at each school to identify the physical security measures and building systems. The first phase will be completed during the summer.  The second phase will include an assessment at each school to review school operations and discuss potential vulnerabilities with school administration, staff and students.  In addition to these assessments, Safe Havens will also provide the following services to the District:
 

  • Review all District security policies and practices, and conduct a gap analysis against best practices;
  • Review all safety and security training programs and offer recommendation for expansion and enhancement;
  • Review and evaluate the feasibility of implementing various security vendor offerings and solicitations;
  • Review the District’s current building construction design criteria, and offer recommendations for revision to incorporate best security practices;
  • Assist the District with its competitive grant application to the Florida Department of Education in order to secure non-recurring funding that has been allocated or capital security enhancements to schools;
  • Produce a final master plan report detailing the results of the various analyses, short and long-term recommendations for enhancements of existing security measures, as well as estimated costs for implementation of such recommendations; and
  • Participate in public hearings with the community to share the results of the risk assessments and their recommendations.

 
With the approval of the contract, Safe Havens will immediately begin deploying resources to initiate the first phase of the project.
 
 “This work is critical as we move forward to enhance safety and security in our schools across the District,” said BCPS Superintendent Robert W. Runcie.
 
Safe Havens is a leader in the safety and security industry, with particular expertise in the assessment of educational facilities and has assisted with safety, security, climate and emergency preparedness assessment for more than 6,000 public, private, independent, and charter school sites. This includes conducting security assessments for five of the largest school districts in America, including Orange County Public Schools and Hillsborough County Public Schools in Florida.

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has more than 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS app.

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School Board Workshop on School Resource Officer Program

Today, the School Board of Broward County, Florida discussed the School Resource Officer (SRO) program, as part of ongoing discussions regarding safety and security enhancements, at a workshop. During the discussion, the Board expressed its preference to retain the current SRO program model, where BCPS partners with local municipalities and the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) to assign a certified law enforcement officer as an SRO. In addition, the Board recognized the new legislative requirement to have an SRO or a school safety officer in each school at the start of the 2018/19 school year. The Board also acknowledged the need to participate in the guardian program in the event a municipal partner is unable to participate in the current model at the newly mandated level because of financial or officer availability reasons.
 

To watch the Board workshop, visit https://eduvision.tv/l?eAmLLy. More information will be provided in the coming weeks.

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has more than 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS app.

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Update on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Graduation

Graduation services for Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are scheduled for Sunday, June 3, 2018. The District is keenly aware of and understands the news media’s desire to witness and report on this special ceremony through digital livestreaming. Additionally, the District understands the community’s interest and support of the school’s families.


However, requests from victims’ families, survivors, students and loved ones convey an unmistakable desire by some for privacy on this day; we believe honoring their requests is the right thing to do. The District has already assured and committed to these families that this graduation ceremony will not be broadcast or livestreamed. For those reasons, we are unable to accommodate the news media’s request for coverage.

As you are aware, these students and families have been through and continue to deal with an unspeakable tragedy that has impacted them directly and profoundly. Grieving is a process that progresses differently for everyone; these families do not see themselves as public figures. Their request for privacy is founded on a desire to recover a small sense of normalcy with loved ones on what will be an emotional day. Some have also expressed anxiety at the thought of having their personal experiences on public display. 

We have arranged for media to be staged on site outside the ceremony and in a way that individuals who are comfortable speaking to news media may do so by choice. It is understandable that news media is frustrated and disappointed. Our hope is that news media and the community can understand and appreciate this decision to honor the wishes of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas students and families.
 

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.” Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has over 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app.

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National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarship 2018 BCPS Winners Named

Congratulations to 21 Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) high school seniors, named winners of National Merit College-Sponsorships by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Representatives of each sponsor college and university selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. An additional group of scholars will be announced in July, bringing the total number of college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship recipients in the 2018 competition to about 4,000.

This year, 178 higher education institutions are underwriting Merit Scholarship awards through the National Merit Scholarship Program. Sponsor colleges and universities include 100 private and 78 public institutions located in 44 states and the District of Columbia.

“We are extremely proud of all of our Merit Scholarship winners and their incredible accomplishments,” said BCPS Superintendent Robert W. Runcie. “We applaud their hard work and commitment to academic excellence and wish them continued success in their future endeavors.”

Congratulations to the following Broward County Public Schools College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners:

Jaeson P. Alcoriza, Everglades High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Robert Cuba, West Broward High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Hugh W. Dennin, Cooper City High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Nina E. Fernandez, West Broward High School
National Merit Florida State University Scholarship

Chelsey Gerena, J. P. Taravella High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Jeremy M. Gillick, Charles W. Flanagan High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Jonathan R. Hutton, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit Boston University Scholarship

Aeva C. Jazic, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Sydney H. Leiter, Western High School
National Merit University of Georgia Scholarship

Tyler Jeremy Metger, West Broward High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

 Joie L. Meyer, Cooper City High School
National Merit Tulane University Scholarship

Vikasni Mohan, Pompano Beach High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Nikhita Nookala, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Ashleigh D. Plasencia, South Plantation High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Payton Restrepo, Everglades High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Jake R. Shipe, Coral Springs High School
National Merit University of Central Florida Scholarship

Rocky H. Shiu, Everglades High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Agustina Vincent de Urquiza, Western High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Devon Jay Wiesenfeld, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Caleb Wong, Cypress Bay High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

Zonshen Yu, Cypress Bay High School
National Merit University of Florida Scholarship

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ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.”

Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has more than 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. To learn more, visit browardschools.com. Follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS app.

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7 BCPS High School Seniors Receive the National Summit for Principal Supervisors Merit Scholar Award

7 BCPS High School Seniors Receive the National Summit for Principal Supervisors Merit Scholar Award

The National Summit for Principal Supervisors, in partnership with VocabularySpellingCity and Curriculum Associates, awarded seven Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) high school seniors with the inaugural National Summit for Principal Supervisors Merit Scholar Awards.
 
The students, who demonstrated commitment to their education and exhibited a strong sense of determination and perseverance to stay focused on graduating high school, will each receive a $500 scholarship to continue their education.
 
The National Summit for Principal Supervisors was created three years ago by the District, through a Wallace Foundation Grant following a two-part study released by the Council of the Great City Schools. This year, 400, K-12 superintendents, district leadership staff, principal supervisors and aspiring principal supervisors from across the nation, that meet to engage in professional development opportunities. 
 
Congratulations to the 2018 National Summit for Principal Supervisors Scholarship winners for BCPS:
Anesia Lee, Miramar High School
Franklin Mejias Castellanos, South Broward High School
Julia Futo, Northeast High School
Kayla McEwan, J.P. Taravella High School
Livens Emile, Blanche Ely High School
Markise Hampton, Piper High School
Nathalie Gil, Western High School
 

ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Committed to educating all students to reach their highest potential.” Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962. BCPS has over 271,500 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 234 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 93 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different.

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