• In Texas, educators in McLennan County are installing devices that detect when students are vaping on campus. The devices, called Halo Smart Sensors, are in restrooms and other common areas. If the sensors go off, a notification is sent to administrators’ cellphones.
• In Tennessee, the state education commissioner says the law enforcement presence in schools is increasing as a result of funding grants totaling $7.2 million. Over 1300 school resource officers have been trained and deployed in schools. But 450 schools still lack a school resource officer.
• In Massachusetts, officials for the Dracut Public School District are implementing a new anonymous reporting system for the mental health of their students. Students can post anonymously through a hotline, website or mobile app. The responses are routed to a team of mental health professionals.
• In Washington D.C., the Secret Service released a report on school safety. The study concludes that most of the violent attacks in schools over the past decade were committed by students who telegraphed their intentions beforehand—and could have been prevented. The Report recommends the use of behavioral threat assessments.