Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office deputies are checking doors, testing locks and verifying security systems at campuses countywide six days before students at Lennard High School, East Bay High School and Apollo Beach K-8 head back to class.

The sheriff's office announced Tuesday, Aug. 4, that School Resource Deputies are conducting final walk-throughs to ensure buildings are secure before the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 10. The agency described the effort as confirming every campus is "safe and secure before students return."

Classes start Monday.

The walk-throughs cap a week-long sequence of safety preparations across the county. On Thursday, July 30, Undersheriff Thomas St. John joined more than 50 School Resource Deputies at the Inaugural School Safety Bureau BBQ, a gathering HCSO said was meant to prepare and recognize the deputies heading back to campus. On Sunday, Aug. 2, the sheriff's office announced it will use speed-detection cameras at 29 schools across Hillsborough County to enforce school zone limits once classes begin.

"School zone speed limits are not suggestions; they're the law," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the Aug. 2 announcement. "If the yellow lights are flashing and you're speeding through a school zone, expect a citation."

The physical walk-throughs reflect what HCSO has described as the core School Resource Deputy mission. In a July 2024 Q&A published on the agency's website, Master Deputy Santiago, a 16-year HCSO veteran assigned to Sickles High School, said proximity control and access control are the primary focus for keeping campuses safe, including checking for unsecured doors and watching for unauthorized visitors throughout the school day.

As we reported July 29, the county also trained more than 300 crossing guards ahead of the Aug. 10 start. That session and a separate SWAT training of 73 school safety personnel on July 27 preceded this week's final campus sweeps.

Hillsborough County Public Schools' first day for the 2026-27 year is Monday, Aug. 10. Families at Lennard High and East Bay High can find back-to-school information on each school's website.