Committee passage gets priority legislation one step closer to protecting Kentucky schools.
FRANKFORT, KY. (Feb. 22, 2024) Today, Senate Bill 2 (SB 2) sponsored by Senator Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, passed out of the Senate Education Committee 10-1. SB 2 will fortify school safety measures and advance trauma-informed care in Kentucky’s primary elementary, middle and high schools. SB 2 includes a School Mapping Data Program to provide emergency responders with a clear picture of the school campus buildings and grounds. The measure passed successfully out of committee 10-1.
“We are taking a hardening approach to school safety and a softening approach to the changing mental health needs of our students,” said Wise. “SB 2 is another layer of protection for our students, faculty and staff at our schools across the Commonwealth.”
Once passed, Kentucky Guardians will empower school districts to engage employees to bolster safety and security on school premises. Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, local school boards facing challenges in meeting School Resource Officer (SRO) coverage prerequisites may contract one or more guardians. Guardians, may be honorably discharged military veterans, retired Kentucky state troopers, retired law enforcement officers, and former federal agents, will provide temporary safety measures until certified SROs become available. Guardians are not required by any school district, but provide school boards with an option to reinforce campus safety. Guardians will undergo extensive training courses, rigorous screening processes, including background checks, medical examinations, psychiatric evaluation and proficiency assessments. They will be identified with a unique uniform and authorized to carry a concealed weapon on school premises. SB 2 requires collaboration between local boards and law enforcement to ensure ready identification by external agencies.
SB 2 represents a holistic approach to school safety and mental health support with prevention, intervention, and collaboration.
In addition to enhancing security measures, SB 2 addresses trauma-informed care by integrating school guidance counselors, school psychologists, social workers, SROs, and mental health service providers into a comprehensive team. This multidisciplinary approach aims to support students affected by trauma, identify mental health issues, and promote resilience and wellness among all students.
SB 2 calls for increased suicide prevention awareness and training for teachers and students, expanding the scope of intervention and support for at-risk students. It also permits the implementation of secondary locking mechanisms on classroom doors, provided they comply with the Kentucky Building Code.
SB creates the School Mapping Data Program to be administered by the Kentucky Center for School Safety. This program will establish a single verified source of mapping data for school campuses that will be standardized and accessible to public safety agencies to ensure efficient response to any school campus emergency.
“This is not a new requirement but another option, another layer to bolster safety and enhance the mental health and well-being of our students, “ said Wise. “ The school mapping element provides visibility of campus buildings and school grounds that will improve response time. School principals and parents are thanking me for undertaking this School Safety 2.0 legislation.”
SB 2 also directs the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) to provide technical assistance, professional development, and training on childhood trauma experiences. It also requires the maintenance and updating of anonymous reporting tools in each district by the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security, facilitating community engagement in ensuring school safety.
SB 2 was largely born from the Task Force on School & Campus Security during the 2023 Interim.
BACKGROUND
Keystone effort by the General Assembly was the School Safety and Resiliency Act of 2019, sponsored by Senator Max Wise:
Filed in response to the shooting at Marshall County High School that had two deaths and more than a dozen wounded
In 2020, the School Safety and Resiliency Act was amended by SB 8 where School Resource Officers were defined in statute
Essentially a clean-up bill that sought to clarify and specify the responsibilities of SROs (School Resource Officers)
Clarified when a person is guilty of Terroristic Threatening
250:1 (School Counselor : Student) ratio for mental health services, as a goal
In 2022 the School Safety and Resiliency Act was amended by HB 63 which:
Amended KRS 158.4414 to require the assignment of school resource officers to schools by August 1, 2022
Notably allowed the formation of police departments by the schools themselves to help in the hiring process of SROs
In July of 2023, Senator Wise told members of the Task Force on School and Campus Security that 28 other states had adopted part or all of the School Safety and Resiliency Act
First Meeting: Presentation of SB 1 of 2019 (School Safety and Resiliency Act). An information session establishing background, concerns, and thoughts put into the 2019 bill as well as a recent history of its amendments
Second Meeting: Kentucky Center for School Safety & Office of the State School Security Marshal
Lengthy discussion on SRO training and how it would be absorbed by the Department of Criminal Justice (DOCJ)
Third Meeting: Strengthening Trauma-informed Schools for Prevention and Resiliency.
Revolved around the need for specialized mental health services within Kentucky schools
Senator Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, represents the 16th Senate District, including Adair, Allen, Metcalfe, Monroe, and Taylor Counties and eastern Warren County. He is Senate Economic Development, Tourism and Labor Committee chair. Wise also serves as a Senate Education Committee member and is a member of the newly formed Families and Children Committee and Health Services Committee. Additionally, he is an Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee member.
(Angela L. Billings, Director of Communications – Senate Majority Leadership)