- February 18, 2025
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A fire in a bathroom at Sarasota High School prompted an evacuation around 8:30 this morning, a spokesperson for the district said. No one was hurt.
The fire was put out before the Sarasota County Fire Department made it to the scene.
The district and the state fire marshal are conducting an investigation about how the fire started.
The evacuation comes after a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School left 17 dead on Feb. 14. In that case, the shooter reportedly pulled the fire alarm to draw people out of classrooms.
The events of that shooting prompted some districts to change their policies about how to react when a fire alarm sounds. A spokesperson said the policies for Sarasota County Schools have not changed, but some schools have conducted emergency drills sooner than planned in light of the Parkland shooting.
District officials are considering other security changes to Sarasota County schools, including a revised plan to update the physical facilities of schools, and a program to hire retired law enforcement officers to provide additional security.