School Safety Law Blog – Page 70 – News and Information for School Safety

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Safety Law News for November 6, 2018

by Bernie James • November 6, 2018

In Pennsylvania, the Tamaqua Area School Board unanimously approved a policy that would allow teachers, administrators and other staff to carry a firearm in school. Tamaqua has never had a uniformed officer. School officials believe arming staff is a better way to go. The teachers union and parents are not in support of the policy.

In Indiana, ever since three children were struck and killed boarding their school bus in Rochester, Indiana, concerns about school bus safety have been heightened. Officials in Hobart, Indiana are implementing the “Stop Arm Violation Campaign.” The policy deploys police officers on school buses with orders to issue citations that require violators to appear in court.

In North Dakota, officials in the Bismarck Public Schools are responding to the increase in student use of e-cigarettes. Armed with data by the Federal Food and Drug Administration that one Juul pod has the same amount of nicotine as a pack of cigarettes and that the developing adolescent brain is particularly vulnerable to nicotine addiction, educators are issuing citations, educating students, and notifying parents.

In Virginia, the Chesterfield County School district held a School Safety Task Force meeting to discuss ways to keep students safe while in school. One recommendation, to increase the number of law enforcement officers on campus, is not popular with some parents.

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Safety Law News for November 1, 2018

by Bernie James • November 1, 2018

In North Carolina, officials at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction announced that it would require around $688 million more in state funding to hire enough additional nurses, social workers, counselors, psychologists and school resource officers to reach nationally recommended levels to increase school safety.

In Indiana, Portage High School students have signed a petition asking school officials to return Portage police officers as school resource officers. Recently, school officials cut ties with Portage police and began using part-time officers from Porter County and other jurisdictions as SROs. Students say they want the Portage officers rehired because of the relationships students had formed with them during their tenure at the high school.

In Florida, school officials are refusing to arm faculty and staff members under the Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act [SB 7026]. $67 million was to be used solely for what the law calls “school guardians.” But $58 million remains unspent. The Governor and the legislature disagree on whether to divert the funds to provide sworn resource officers.

In Georgia, the Court of Appeals of Georgia held that a high school student, who was called by the school principal to the principal’s office, was not in custody when he admitted to a school resource officer that he choked another student. The court reasoned that Miranda warnings were not required. (State v. Daniell)

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Safety Law News for October 24 2018

by Bernie James • October 24, 2018

In Virginia, the Fauquier County School Board voted unanimously to allow school security officers to carry guns. Virginia law allows school boards to hire armed civilian security guards as long as they are retired law-enforcement officers or have at least 10 years of law-enforcement experience.

In Indiana, the Jay County School Board voted unanimously to arm selected staff volunteers as a last line of defense in what the superintendent describes as a layered security strategy. Volunteers would have access to gun safes at each Jay County school.

In Colorado, the Thompson School District renewed an agreement with the City of Loveland Police Department to expand and strengthen the school resource officer program. The agreement bolsters the SRO program by providing more support at the administrative level by adding an SRO supervising sergeant. It creates more interagency cohesion by developing partnerships with community mental health resources, school counselors, mental health clinics, and drug treatment centers.

In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of School Safety (OSS) is working with the Wausau Police Department and the Wisconsin Safe and Healthy Schools Center to deploy trained therapists, school resources officers, and comfort dogs to Barron School District in the aftermath of the disappearance of 13 year-old Jayme Closs.

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Safety Law News for October 16th

by Bernie James • October 16, 2018

In Georgia, the Georgia Court of Appeals held that a student, who was called by the school principal to the principal’s office, was not in “custody” when he admitted to choking student, and thus, a police officer was not required to give Miranda warnings before speaking with him. (State v. Daniell).

In Illinois, the Urbana school district is in crisis over its implementation of new discipline policies centered on restorative justice. Six months after unveiling the policy parents, students and staff members are asking for solutions to problems of increased fighting and discipline issues. Teachers are beginning to leave the district.

In Ohio, officials in the Springfield Schools are seeking a property tax hike to pay for additional school security measures. The November ballot proposal will renew the district’s existing 1.35-mill assessment and add a 0.9-mill levy for updating the communication system, replacing classroom doors, and other building enhancements.

In Maryland, the Maryland Safe to Learn Act, enacted in 2017, requires each school to have a coordinator of mental health services. Local schools are making progress coordinating a range of mental health supports, from preventative safety measures to working through behavior incidents. The goal is for each school to have a full-time in-house psychologist.

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Safety Law News for October 12, 2018

by Bernie James • October 12, 2018

In Virginia, the school safety task force for the Chesterfield County Public Schools has proposed placing officers in all schools in the county, increasing funding for mental health staff, and the distribution of annual transparency reports from both police and the school system.

In Idaho and Ohio, the Idaho Office of School Safety and the Ohio Department of Education have received federal grants to develop a technological reporting system to help monitor and assess threats and improve school safety. The resources will include a confidential statewide tip line featuring downloadable apps and a web portal. Florida officials are launching their version of this technology in the Fortify Florida app. The state legislature created the app as part of the Stoneman Douglas Act. It is an anonymous way to alert the Florida Department of Law Enforcement about possible school threats.

In Colorado, the Jefferson County Public Schools’ community safety and security task force has proposed recommendations with the goal of moving from a reactive to proactive response when it comes to the safety and security of students and staff. Its recommendations include increased mental health supports, more school security personnel, and better training for school staff.

In Texas, the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas School Safety Center are asking the Legislature for more than $200 million during the next two-year budget to improve school safety and mental health services for students.

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Safety Law News for October 10, 2018

by Bernie James • October 10, 2018

In Arkansas, the Governor tasked the Arkansas School Safety Commission to produce two reports — the first due July 1 and the second Nov. 30 — to look at mental health, school security plans, and how schools partner with local law enforcement. The first Report found that more than 75 percent of the districts planned changes in the physical security of their school buildings, such as video surveillance, bullet-proof glass in reception areas or classroom doors that can be locked from the inside. Only a small percentage of schools are using commissioned school security officers on campus.

In Pennsylvania, officials in the Council Rock School District are allocating a $20,000 state grant to pay for 50 staff members to receive comprehensive ALICE training. ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) prepares school districts to handle the threat of an active shooter. Once certified, the staff will train all district staff in the ALICE technique.

In Tennessee, a Report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows almost 1,700 incidents involving guns or threats of guns at schools or colleges from 2001 to 2017— nearly one every three days. The rate of students having guns at Tennessee schools exceeded the national average. From 2001 to 2017, there were 10 slayings at Tennessee schools involving a gun.

In Wisconsin, the Madison School Board is considering the recommendations provided by members of an ad hoc committee set up to study the role of school-based law enforcement officers at schools. The committee strongly recommends that the renewal of the contract with the police department be contingent on some oversight so that students will know what to expect. The single biggest recommendation is to make restorative justice the first alternative for students facing disciplinary action, and require that officers be trained in adolescent brain development and the school district’s classroom code of conduct.