DELAND, Fla. -- Volusia County Sheriff's Office has gotten so many applications for school guardians, they've closed the job posting.

  • Volusia County closes job posting for school guardians
  • Sheriff's Office said they got 180 applications
  • Training set to start July 2

The sheriff's office said on Facebook that it got 180 applications for the new program. The job posting was opened June 14, and was supposed to close June 26.

The program would train the school guardians to act as armed guards on school campuses.

The sheriff's office said of the 180 applications they got, 50 did not meet the minimum requirements. The rest will be interviewed over the next few weeks.

The plan is to hire at least 44 guardians. The sheriff's office says they are prepared to train more as necessary.

The guardian applicants who get past the interview phase will go through fingerprinting and drug screening tests, background checks similar to what is given to deputies. They will also undergo a psychological exam.

Training for the program is set to start July 2.