Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) respects its responsibility to provide information to our community about the horrible tragedy that occurred on February 14th. While recognizing the public’s right to know, the District does not intend to conduct its investigation of the tragedy through the media.
The District has provided information and records to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission and other organizations that are conducting investigations to determine what happened, who was at fault, and what should be done to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring. That is what these organizations have been charged to do.
The information sent to the Sun-Sentinel by the District is often restricted by confidentiality and privacy laws. For the Sun-Sentinel article, we provided responses, documents and have worked to facilitate those responses in a timely manner. We look to the Sun-Sentinel to be an equal partner to present that information in a fair and unbiased manner so that the public can form their own opinion. Many responses provided to the Sun-Sentinel were not included in its November 30th article.
When it comes to navigating in an environment that is so highly sensitive, and one in which we are trying to be thoughtful while being thorough in our responses, if there have been shortcomings, it has never been our intention to mislead. We are committed to transparency while adhering to laws and policies regarding what information can be provided.
Our District continues to deal with unprecedented circumstances and remains focused on learning from this tragedy and identifying ways to create safer and more secure environments. We are committed to our students, families and the Broward community.
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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 88 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, with students representing 204 different countries and 191 different languages. Connect with BCPS: visit the website at browardschools.com, follow BCPS on Twitter @browardschools and Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, and download the free BCPS mobile app.