Some Ohio districts were more prepared than others because they had a pandemic response plan, providing guidance on long-term isolation from school buildings.
Amid coronavirus fears and budget debates, the House and Senate could not come together to finalize updates to Florida’s school safety laws.
The unanimously passed amendment came after a 6-year-old was arrested in Orlando for misdemeanor battery.
The legislation addresses the use of seclusion and restraints in schools, suicide prevention hotlines on IDs and a new mental health pilot program.
The new website was created in response to a recommendation from the Federal Commission on School Safety created by President Trump in 2018.
Information is key during a campus emergency. Injuries and damages from events, such as active shooters, fires, chemical spills and severe weather, can soar if a campus lacks a proper emergency notification system (ENS).
The legislation includes measures for the state education commissioner to enforce security laws already on the books.
Similar technology is already widely in use by other universities to track students’ locations when they arrive for class.
SPB 7040 would require sheriff’s offices to conduct psychological evaluations before a school employee is trained to be a guardian and limit that training to sheriff’s offices.
The state Department of Education hired two employees to focus on plans for a statewide policy-focused safety center, an idea lawmakers have pushed for years.