President Donald Trump and Tony Montalto in 2019. {White House}
Tony Montalto, president of Stand with Parkland and an advocate for safer schools following the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting that claimed his daughter, Gina, is calling on the federal government to reconstitute the advisory board tied to SchoolSafety.gov.
The advisory board, part of the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse, was created under the Trump administration and continued during Biden’s term to provide schools with best practices and evidence-based recommendations.
It had just held its first meeting in October.
A letter signed on January 20 by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said the decision was part of a wider effort to ensure the agency’s “activities prioritize our national security.”
In a statement, Montalto said they were honored to work with the first Trump administration to create the program, which unites four federal departments to focus on school safety. “Disbanding the board jeopardizes the safety of students, teachers, and staff across the country.”
Montalto emphasized that school safety is a nonpartisan issue and referenced the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, named for Parkland victims Luke Hoyer and Alex Schachter, as a legislative milestone in bipartisan efforts to protect schools.
He described dismantling the advisory board as contradictory to the act’s spirit and urged the Trump administration to restore it.
Stand with Parkland, a national organization advocating for safer schools, continues to push for practical safety reforms, including improved mental health support and responsible firearms ownership.
“As a father who knows the pain of losing a child to a preventable school shooting, I urge the administration to act with urgency and empathy,” Montalto added. “The lives of our nation’s children are too important to play politics with.”
Send your news to Parkland’s #1 Award-Winning News Source, Parkland Talk. Don’t Miss Tamarac Talk, Coral Springs Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, Margate Talk, and Sunrise FL Talk.
Author Profile
Related
NewsJanuary 26, 2025Stand with Parkland Urges Reinstatement of Recently Axed School Safety Board
NewsJanuary 25, 2025Meet Broward County Animal Care’s Pets of the Week: Joe and Jellybean
NewsJanuary 24, 2025Parkland Crime Blotter: Burglary, Domestic Violence Arrest, and Retail Theft Highlight Weekly Incidents
NewsJanuary 21, 2025TICKET ALERT: Marlon Wayans to Perform at Coral Springs Center for the Arts
