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Education

Mom Fronts Cash to Pay for Armed Deputy at Daughter’s Elementary School

Jan. 23, 2013 11:20am Erica Ritz

In the wake of the horrifying tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary last month, one Florida mom isn’t waiting for the school board to make up its mind about whether or not to hire armed guards.

She’s offered to pay for one herself, at the costly rate of $32/hour.

According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Laura Lauria has already paid the Flagler County School District for two months of protection at Old Kings Elementary, and has made a “verbal commitment” to pay for the rest of the year after that.

If local media is to judge, the response seems to have been primarily positive within the community.

“I don’t know how you say no to such a wonderful gesture,” Superintendent Janet Valentine remarked. “We really have had an outcry from the community that they would like to see (deputies) at all the schools, and understandably so…”

Florida Mother Laurie Lauria Hires Armed Deputy for Daughters Elementary School

(Photo: WKMG)

Sheriff Jim Manfre, meanwhile, said it’s only “Band-Aid” solution until it can be done at every school.

“Nothing is as adequate as having a full-time school resource officer who knows the school, knows the children, knows the building, knows the parents,” Manfre explained. “That’s the best way to provide security at the school.”

The News-Journal continues:

Old Kings staff members are “really thankful” for the additional security, Principal Nancy Willis said. The deputies patrol the entrance and perimeter of the campus, she said.

“I think it’s very good for our students and our employees and I feel like they will feel much safer with a deputy on campus,” she said.

Valentine said she’s hoping a “national push” for more school security will result in federal dollars that will help pay for school deputies. But until then, the schools will accept their parents’ generosity.

“I think sometimes that’s what has to happen — the community needs to step forward and she has,” Valentine said. “We’re so fortunate that she’s done that.”

2nd grader Austin Johnson says he was introduced to the deputy in gym class. His grandmother added that she’d hire ‘four or five’ deputies if she could. (Photo: WKMG)

Families seem supportive also. Second-grader Austin Johnson’s grandmother told WKMG: “If I had the money I’d hire four or five…To know there’s someone there if someone comes in with a gun, they could try and stop them before they kill more children.”

Though the WKMG reporter said that he didn’t talk to a single family critical of the change, as the story has been picked up by national media outlets, the comments have grown increasingly negative.

“America has become a fear-based pit of irrationalism,” one Huffington Post commenter wrote. The Huffington Post article itself concluded with a word from an “expert.”

“Isn’t it more straightforward to just get rid of the guns?” Kenneth Dodge, director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, asked.

FCN has more on the story, including reactions from local residents:

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Comments (44)

Exiled
Posted on January 24, 2013 at 1:59am
Given the choice, I would certainly rather have a county deputy at the school than have some federal “TSA-type” official planted there.

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tootsie roll
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 4:06pm
@blaaaaackwomen
Are you promoting PORN ? NAMING PERVERTED MOVIES OUT! If not I guess your posting here shows your culture or maybe it shows your IQ or LACK there of.

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tootsie roll
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 4:03pm
stupid post toatally stupid

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tonypro
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 3:56pm
Opening the door to have tsa type, or gov. placed guards in our schools is a HUGE mistake.

School admin., teachers, grounds keepers, janitors, kitchen staff, etc. is where this needs to go.

Allow the people to protect themselves, don’t allow hired goons step in.

I do commend this mother, and school in their pro stance of protecting our children, we just need to be careful in the long term.

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- tootsie roll
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 4:32pm
  @Tony-pro and term limits
  they want to hire police officers and retired police officers. BTW, TSA may be stupid and are paid by our gov. BUT they do NOT carry guns.
  I for one commend this woman. in some towns in Florida
  RSO -Resource Officer a police officer,come out of our tax dollars Your post is totally off base.
  BTW do either of you have children?
  
  Report this comment
- 1stKENTUCKYREGULAR
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 4:34pm
  Teachers? School administrators?
  
  These are already tsa type/brown shirts.
  
  If you wanna protect your children? then home school.
  
  Report this comment
- tootsie roll
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 4:38pm
  tony pro
  They are NOT TSA dummys which are paid by our gov. They, TSA do not carry guns.
  However this story is about armed guards does not mention TSA. The schools in florida (some) mine does already has RSO who is armed police officers who the children know and have passed back ground checks.
  So what is up with yours and term limits posting? You two sound like gun control, gun grabbers to me. BTW your post sound like typical liberal post, trying to promote a story that fits your agenda.
  
  Report this comment
- tonypro
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 7:17pm
  @tootietroll
  
  “They are NOT TSA dummys which are paid by our gov.”
  
  If you could read you would see I said “tsa”" type”"” guards.
  
  “You two sound like gun control, gun grabbers to me. ”
  
  How do you come to this conclusion?????? Again if you could read and comprehend you’d see that I am in favor of the school employees being armed, so how in the world does that sound like a “gun grabber.”
  ….and before you go off in space I will make note that not all of them should, only the ones with proper training, clearance, and a desire to have one.
  
  Now not that it is ANY of your business tootytroll but I have 2 children, one in college, and one out of college that has an exceptional son (my grandson–in case you couldn’t figure that out) that is well above his class being home schooled, and would surely score a higher SAT than most public school seniors.
  
  I have looked at your previous posts, or should I say personal attacks on posters here, you need to get a life.
  
  Report this comment
- tonypro
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 7:34pm
  @tootytroll
  
  “”I for one commend this woman.”"
  
  Read the last sentence in the post….
  
  “I do commend this mother, and school in their pro stance of protecting our children, we just need to be careful in the long term.”
  
  If you are having any further problem comprehending my posts please let me know.
  
  Report this comment
term limits for congress
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 2:29pm
Have you been to the airport?? Have you seen who they hire for the TSA??? You want those people to have guns and pretend to guard the schools? Want them frisking your child?

Be careful what you ask for. Big Sis just might be in charge of it.

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- tonypro
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 4:00pm
  I could have just saved my post if I would have read yours before posting.
  
  (Thumbs up icon)
  
  Report this comment
Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 1:59pm
Liberals will never enforce gun laws where criminals are concerned no matter how many you make. Enforcing them would defeat the whole purpose of making more and more laws. If they enforced 1/2 (pick the half) the laws already on the books we would not be having this conversation.

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TotallyNotATroll
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 12:48pm
“Isn’t it more straightforward to just get rid of the guns?” Kenneth Dodge, director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, asked.

I used to think places like Duke represented institutions where people with higher intelligence went.

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- Ghandi was a Republican
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 2:01pm
  The guy needs to be mugged and his house invaded (in his gated community no less) before he will bother to think it through. Liberals have no sense whatsoever.
  
  Report this comment
- noneed4govthelp
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 5:27pm
  It would be much more straight forward, to get rid of the drugs too.Oh sorry, scratch that,they already did.
  
  Report this comment
Bobby D
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 12:48pm
Crime is the problem, and not the legal ownership of useful firearms equipment. The manufactured “Straw Man,” created by the mentally ill Left, is simply pouring gasoline onto the fire they set.

This phony safety issue is so out of hand thanks to the Regime and the LSM, I gotta laugh. My $$ bets this mommy is a registered Democrat!

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Mamma Bear
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 12:38pm
Can hear the yelling now that only white rich kids get security – when in reality the cops of been in very minority school district for years now not to protected the kids from outsiders but from the kids themselves.

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- catty
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 9:50pm
  Are you speaking English?
  
  Report this comment
scrapadapolis
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 12:33pm
This is assine,Police officers are paid with TAX dollars.ONE officer off the street and in a school should be paid his/her salary from the same tax dollars that their paid on a beat.So dont let more of these FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS BE RESOURSED UNDER FALSE PRETENCES!!!!!

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- 00100111
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 2:41pm
  Police Officers doing duty off the clock (probably what this is) are generally paid more. It wasn’t stated if it would be the same deputy every day, just than a deputy would be there. LEOs often take jobs off the clock as security for extra pay.
  
  Report this comment
- Exiled
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:19am
  If he’s off duty, though, he should not be in uniform, or driving his patrol car. On the other hand, if the lady is paying the sheriff to cover the costs of putting a deputy there, that would be different.
  
  Report this comment
hi
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:59am
Wow! She should just hire a PhD to homeschool her kid instead!

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- tootsie roll
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 4:14pm
  Why because an armed police guard RSO
  offends your Liberal thought? Perhaps IF YOU had a child in the school system you should home school your child.
  Oh yes, that would require you to be smart. Sorry forgot you were a Liberal
  
  Report this comment
Derek01
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:49am
Libs are going nuts. If parents and kids want to be protected by guns, how can the libs push their all guns are bad agenda.
This guy really nails the liberal agenda
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0113/ahlert012313.php3#.UQATthz7Muk

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termyt
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:46am
There is no need for that kind of expense.

Arm any teachers and staff who are willing and able and let them carry concealed weapons. And, of course, keep who is who as secret as possible.

That way you are not paying someone to do nothing but guard a facility that will probably never need it. All it will cost the school is the cost to train the willing to use firearms effectively for defense of yourself and others.

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- Brents Torts
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 12:35pm
  @Termyt
  
  I totally agree. The expense of this can be covered locally. There is no need to create another federal agency.
  
  Report this comment
- Serenabit
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 1:55pm
  Here Here and Amen to that!
  
  Funny how the solutions are typically simple, but if they don’t fit an agenda or within a politically correct box nobody wants to implement them.
  
  Report this comment
- 1stKENTUCKYREGULAR
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 2:16pm
  I agree it’s a waste of money, better idea would be to have the cops actually protect and serve instead of revenue collecting.i e moving violations
  
  Report this comment
- Exiled
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:21am
  Brents Torts: Actually,many school districts couldn’t cover this cost. There are several school districts in my area that receive almost nothing (under 1%) of their revenue from the local tax base. Almost all of the money comes from federal programs.
  
  Report this comment
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:46am
Brave of the mother to come forward with that offer, she is likely to face questions of her wealth from Obama.

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Thighmaster
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:44am
$32.00 per hour ? I have a concealed carry permit and the taxpayers didn’t pay for all My training, I did, so can I get a job like that ?

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- Exiled
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:18am
  Yes. Many school districts hire non-law enforcement security.
  
  Report this comment
- Exiled
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:24am
  The high dollar amount most likely comes from the need for the off-duty officer to have his own insurance, as he wouldn’t be covered by the Sheriff while not on duty.
  
  Report this comment
Mapache
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:44am
what a waste of money. FIrst, it will be a matter of days before somebody plays the race card saying that only those wealthy area schools will have security and the poor and minorities will be left to be victims. Without putting a resource officer in every school, schools could be put on the priority patrol list with local police and sheriff visits occurring frequently.
Simple solution, have PBA and/or school board provide LE with free coffee at schools with a small room with computers to do their reports and paperwork.

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- spirited
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:53am
  That would be insane!!!
  
  Then again, What else is new?
  If so, perhaps good folks like the Jacksons and the Shartons and the Van Jones will pay it foward;
  for children in “The Community”.
  
  Report this comment
- Exiled
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:22am
  Many schools do just that.
  
  Report this comment
crusaderx9
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:37am
obama and his ruling class as well as many MSM types get armed guards at schools for their children.

There is nothing irrational of having armed guards protect your children…

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- Exiled
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:23am
  True. It seems the only argument here is WHO gets to pick who those armed guards are. I think it should be a 100% local decision. Let the Sheriff figure it out. No need for the federal government to stick its nose in.
  
  Report this comment
Beachmastermax
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:36am
Pay an armed guard to stand outside of a classroom, while a progressive teacher drives them to insanity on the inside. By the way, have you given little Johhny his labotomy drugs today?

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Displacedsoutherner
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:34am
In this inverted universe being pushed by the Left the simple concept of : what’s the best defense against bad guys with guns?…good guys with guns, will be viewed with derision and hysteria.

Thank God the current crowd wasn’t in power during the Cold War or the ruble would be the currency of Western Europe and everything from the Atlantic Ocean to the Chinese border would be under Soviet control.

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Cavallo
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:32am
Is there any mass shooting that didn’t happen in a “Gun Free Zone”? Even the Fort Hood Shooting happened in an area were soldiers were forbidden to have weapons.

“Isn’t it more straightforward to just get rid of the guns?” Kenneth Dodge, director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, asked.

So he is either talking about more shooting galleries (gun free zones) or confiscation. Another individual talking about confiscation. Sorry, not going to happen. Tell you what Kenny-boy, come get them yourself, coward.

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AmericaMustBeFree
Posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:29am
I think all parents would chip in to have a armed guard at every school in America! Although, I would think it far more important to take them out of school period.. as they won’t stop brainwashing our kids until we make a stand!

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- kaydeebeau
  Posted on January 23, 2013 at 12:29pm
  The money would be better used to take their kids out of the indoctrination centers and teach the kids themselves – but thne again too many think having stuff and other comforts is more important than their own children.
  
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- Exiled
  Posted on January 24, 2013 at 2:33am
  You would think they would chip in. But they don’t. Or they can’t. Have you ever lived in a school district where they tried to pass a bond? Recently, one here failed, which would have averaged each home $7.50 per year. That’s on top of the ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that they already pay.
  
  Report this comment

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