JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – First Coast High School held a parent meeting Thursday night after three guns were brought to campus in the last three weeks.
Duval County school leaders and Principal Timothy Simmons met with parents for about an hour at the meeting, which focused on an upsetting trend at the high school in Jacksonville's Oceanway neighborhood.
One parent told News4Jax they left feeling satisfied, while another was still worried.
The previous day, Simmons sent a letter home with students reminding parents about the meeting and notifying them about the arrest of a student who was found in possession of a firearm on campus.
Wednesday's incident at First Coast High marked the fifth weapon-in-school arrest at the high school in less than a month. The gun-in-school incident was the ninth in Duval County schools since the school year began, according to district officials.
Officials said tips from students led to Wednesday's arrest and an arrest Jan. 25 at First Coast High. A student tip also led to the arrest of two students Jan. 26 at First Coast High after police said they brought a stun gun to school.
Simmons led the discussion Thursday evening, reiterating that he wants parents to play a role in keeping weapons off the campus.
Rich Guettler, the father of a senior at First Coast High School and another child who will be in ninth grade next year, said hearing from Simmons was reassuring.
"I'm totally convinced they're doing everything they can and my children (will) be safe here," Guettler said. "So I'm very happy with them, happy they are adjusting, happy with the direction it's going."
Sherry Shaffer, the mother of a 14-year-old who attends First Coast High School, said she left the meeting still feeling very concerned.
"I actually moved here about two-and-a-half years ago from up in New Jersey, and it's really bad up there with the gangs and different things going on. I thought if I moved farther south, it would be better, but apparently it's not," Shaffer said.
Shaffer told News4Jax that her daughter and her friends are afraid about what's been happening at the school, which is why there should be increased security.
"They need to put in more surveillance," she said. "There's not as much surveillance as there should be."
Ahead of the meeting, another mother, who said she planned on attending, echoed similar thoughts.
Shay Green said she wants added safety features, as well as more conversations with parents and students.
She said it's more than just the students who have to take responsibility for the problems. She said at home, parents need to be having difficult conversations with their children so that they can make sure that guns don't end up in backpacks and then at school.
“You have kids that, because of the peer pressure, because of the temptation, they're afraid to go to their parents. I think, still, even when the parents think their child will not do that, 'I didn't raise my child that way,' that's true. You didn't raise your child like that, but still you need to open a communication line up and let them know,” Green said.
Green added that she would like to see metal detectors in schools and that students would feel safer and be able to focus more on learning if those were in place.
“Far too often, students say they bring weapons for protection when they leave our school or try to sell them. There is no valid reason to bring any weapon to First Coast High School," Simmons wrote in the letter sent to parents Wednesday. "Keep discussing consequences resulting from making bad decisions and encouraging your children to report any unsafe situations or possible weapons in the school to an adult."