Dear Plato Academy Staff and Families,
We want to make you aware of a recent change in Florida law and clarify how it affects campus safety and school operations.
What’s Changing
On September 10, 2025, the First District Court of Appeals struck down Florida’s prohibition on open carry, finding it unconstitutional. As a result, beginning September 25, 2025, legally qualified individuals may openly carry firearms in many public places in Florida, subject to existing legal restrictions and statutory limits.
What Is Not Changing, Firearms Prohibited on School Campuses
It is important to emphasize that this new decision does not authorize firearms on school grounds or at school‐sponsored events. Existing Florida law continues to prohibit possession of weapons on school property, including:
Any elementary or secondary school building or facility, or school grounds. (Any Plato Academy campus)
School buses or bus stops. (Plato buses or chartered buses apply)
Events or facilities under the control of a school, including extracurricular and athletic events and field trips. (Any Plato sponsored event or Plato Education Foundation sponsored event and all athletic competitions and practices even if off campus)
Under Florida Statutes § 790.115, possessing a firearm, electric weapon, or other weapon on school property (or at school events) is a crime (typically a third‐degree felony), subject to exceptions only for approved firearms programs or classes authorized by the school or those required to carry, such as a guardian, SRO or security guard under § 1006.
Why This Matters for Our Schools
Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of all students, staff, and visitors. With the changing legal landscape:
School administrators, staff, and campus security are reviewing our safety protocols and ensuring all protective measures remain in full effect. This change does not affect any policies or procedures currently in place as the laws pertaining to schools were not changed.
We will continue to strictly enforce our policies prohibiting weapons on campus.
Visitors, contractors, or anyone entering school property must comply with our security procedures, including checking in at the front office, being cleared to be on campus (may require level 2 clearance in most cases) and may be subject to search, without exception for openly carried weapons.
While open carry will be legal under certain circumstances in Florida starting September 25, 2025, it does not override the laws and school policies that prohibit firearms on school grounds or at school events. Anyone found in violation of those laws or policies will face potential legal consequences and immediate removal from campus.
That said, our commitment remains twofold: to uphold the highest safety standards and to preserve the warm, family-centered environment that defines our schools. We will continue to monitor legal developments and work closely with law enforcement, legal counsel, and state authorities to ensure our campuses remain safe and welcoming, and we encourage parents to strengthen our family-school partnership by becoming Level 2 cleared volunteers.
Your involvement in your child’s education and school not only enriches student life and overall academic outcomes but also strengthens the sense of community that makes Plato Academy unique and we love seeing you on campus throughout the school year and at our events and on field trips. Together, we can provide an environment that is both secure and enriching for every child.
Thank you for your continued trust and partnership in keeping our schools safe and family-centered.
Sincerely,
Plato Academy Schools Executive Leadership Team
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2025 – 2026 School Year
