The location of a school and its relationship to its immediate surroundings is critical in evaluating safety and security concerns. The differences in suburban, urban, and rural environments, both actual and perceived, has shaped the organization and design of Florida's schools.
Schools within a suburban neighborhood play a different role than the urban inner-city school or the rural school. Suburban schools are often embraced as an integral part of the community, and because of their proximity to residential areas they are readily accessible to their neighbors.
Schools located in urban surroundings are shaped by a greater perception of crime. Their organization and design is of an insular nature and discourages contact with the nearby population. Safety design criteria is greatly influenced by the protective face of the urban school.
Rural schools tend to be located in areas of dispersed population. Unlike schools located in suburban and inner-city areas, rural schools do not have the benefit of a nearby residential population to provide visual surveillance. The availability of lower cost land allows the typical rural school campus to sprawl over a larger area and can make their perimeter more difficult to monitor and secure.