Creating a safe and nurturing environment for Hoosier students has always been a priority for the Indiana General Assembly. Indiana is one of the first states in the country to require each school corporation to have a school safety specialist. During this past legislative session, I cosponsored Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 1 regarding this topic.
In the fall of 2012, Attorney General Greg Zoeller sent out surveys to school corporations, law enforcement and citizens asking about school safety and school resource officers. As a result of the survey, SEA 1 was created.
SEA 1 specifies how a school resource officer program may be established and sets forth duties and responsibilities for school resource officers. Before being appointed as a school resource officer, a person must successfully complete the training requirements for law enforcement officers and receive 40 hours of certified school resource officer training.
The school resource officers are typically retired law enforcement who receive extra training to work in schools. I believe that the presence of such officers will prevent certain problems from happening in the first place and overall help ensure the safety of students and teachers.
SEA 1 also establishes the Indiana Secured School Fund, under the administration of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS), to provide matching grants to enable school corporations and charter schools to establish programs to employ school resource officers, conduct threat assessments or purchase safety equipment and technology.
School corporations, charter schools or coalitions with an average daily membership (ADM) of at least 1,000 can apply for grants up to $50,000 per year. Eligible applicants with an ADM of less than 1,000 can apply for grants of up to $35,000 per year. To be eligible, applicants must also be located in a county that has a County School Safety Commission. If a Commission does not currently exist, there is still time for one to be organized prior to the application deadline on September 30.
I think local control is important in this situation, and I support allowing school corporations to decide the best ways to secure their schools. The availability of these funds will allow them to do just that.
The Newtown, Connecticut tragedy last year has motivated many school boards and administrators to examine ways to further enhance safety in their buildings and classrooms. I hope that by providing additional funding to Indiana schools, we can improve school safety and provide a safe learning environment for all young Hoosiers.
For more information on the Secured School Safety Grant Program and a timeline of important dates, please visit www.in.gov/dhs/
