In North Carolina, House Bill 295 has been introduced to prohibit public schools and charter schools from using corporal punishment to discipline students. Corporal punishment is currently legal in 19 states.
In Tennessee, House Bill 947 has been introduced by the Governor. The legislation proposes a $30 million increase in the newly created school safety grant fund to enhance school safety. The goal of the policy is to place school resources officers in nearly 500 schools that do not have an officer on campus, especially schools in rural areas.
In Washington D.C., the U.S. Department of Education has released guidance on what the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) permits and what it protects as to student privacy in schools that implement interagency safe schools plans. The resource guide may be found on this link.
In Arkansas, the Arkansas Senate approved Senate Bill 383, sending it to the House for further action. The legislation will allow schools to directly hire law enforcement officers as school resource officers. Currently, only law enforcement agencies employ school resource officers.