PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A new dashboard designed to enhance school safety is launching today, named in memory of Alex Schachter, a victim of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
Alex Schachter's father, Max Schachter, has dedicated the past four years to creating this system, aimed at better equipping parents, teachers, and police in the event of incidents in schools nationwide.
WATCH: Max Schachter explains the purpose of school safety dashboard
“We miss Alex every day,” Max Schachter said. “This is Alex's legacy, and I don’t want another parent to suffer the pain that we’ve gone through."
The project, titled Safe Schools for Alex, offers a transparent database that provides parents with detailed information about the safety of K-12 schools across the country. It tracks key data, such as discipline figures and incidents related to weapons violations.
Max Schachter noted that in Palm Beach County, the number one incident reported was fighting, followed by 141 bullying incidents and 116 weapon possession incidents.
Mindy Ventimiglia, a former nurse who worked in the Florida school system for 23 years, praised the initiative.
“I think it has a lot of good information for parents,” she said.
Ventimiglia expressed that she never had access to such comprehensive information while working or when her own children were in school. Reflecting on personal experiences, Ventimiglia shared her daughter's recent experience during the Florida State University mass shooting.
“I thank God, the universe, whatever, every day that this wasn’t worse,” she said.
The dashboard is updated annually and primarily uses public information from each state's Department of Education as its main resource, providing families with critical insights into school safety.
To access the dashboard, click here.
