— In California, the California Court of Appeal held that state law authorizes only the Legislature to require school children to be vaccinated against COVID-19 but not any of the individual school districts. This ruling affirmed the lower court refusal to allow the San Diego Unified School District to require students ages 16 or older to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to attend in-person classes and participate in sports. The court ruled that this policy is preempted because, “(b)y creating a comprehensive state procedure to determine the compulsory vaccinations for school attendance, the statute … provides that students who comply with state immunization requirements are entitled to attend California schools, and (a school district) is not permitted to add its own vaccination mandates.” Let Them Choose v San Diego Unified School District
— In Florida, the Bay County Sheriff’s Department is hosting a program to educate the community on drugs and internet threats. “Keeping Your Family Safe: An Internet Safety & Drug Awareness Workshop,” focuses on the dangers of the internet and drugs, along with how law enforcement officials are protecting local schools.
— In North Carolina, officials in the Johnston County Public Schools are implementing a new policy for protecting students that will have cops and body scanners at each school. Each campus is installing a weapons detection system. Stationary systems will be placed at the main entrance of every school and other places throughout the district. Portable detection systems will be placed as needed, e.g., bus rider entrances, student driver entrances and secondary carpool entrances.
— In Ohio, officials in the Preble Shawnee Local Schools Board of Education are being proactive on school safety by implementing a Threat Assessment Training program for middle and high school staff members. Teams of high school and middle school staff are being equipped to “look for key factors, things that would identify students who might have some key things, or things that would identify them as somebody involved in threats or dangers to the school.” Each team will hold monthly meetings, receiving safety concerns from staff, teachers and students about dangers to the school.