Justin Marston

The Florida Department of Education has invested $557,000 in a pilot program which will outfit schools in Leon, Broward and Volusia counties with drones.

The drone's designer, Campus Guardian Angel, says they can distract and disarm an assailant during a school shooting.

Here's CEO Justin Marston describing how the drones work.

There's some opposition.

Matt Johnson is chair of the Florida Libertarian Party.

He says the program treats children as subjects of a, quote, state-run surveillance system.

For NPR News, I'm Danielle Pryor in Orlando.