After hearing hundreds of comments and suggestions from parents, teachers, students, administrators and other key stakeholders during five previous meetings across the state, members of the Senate School Safety Study Committee held their sixth and final meeting Tuesday morning at the State Capitol to adopt their findings and recommendations.
The committee, chaired by Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) focused on three main areas in the final report: crisis prevention, physical security of building, facilities and buses, and emergency response.
In his report, Sen. Albers stressed the importance of placing a strong priority on the mental health of Georgia’s students, and especially on those who show signs of instability or potential danger to themselves or their peers.
“We have a crisis that is not being adequately addressed in schools today,” Albers said. “The Committee has repeatedly been presented with testimony revealing that counselors currently working in Georgia’s schools are often relied upon to provide career and class counseling to students, as well as mental health counseling. Many of these counselors are overwhelmed by the dual responsibilities expected of them.”
The report acknowledged that “while increased state funding for specialized mental health counselors may be one solution,” the committee also recommended that the Legislature explore the possibility of creating legislation which would allow local governments to use ESPLOST funds to hire specifically trained mental health professionals to treat and serve students in schools.
The committee also recommended that local school boards and the Georgia Department of Education place emphasis on training for teachers, school staff, and students regarding the early recognition, detection, and reporting of signs of an impending attack in or on schools.
Another recommendation is that lawmakers explore potential legislation which would create a data-sharing system which would allow Georgia’s schools, social services, and law enforcement agencies to create, share, and curate secure individual student profiles throughout a student’s educational career. The report also includes a recommendation that lawmakers consider legislation mandating that every K – 12 Georgia school, whether public or private, undergo a third-party threat assessment of its buildings, facilities, and grounds.
The report also states that “the Committee recommends that parents take an active role in developing close and proper authority over their children. While the school system plays a crucial role in the lives of students, the majority of their training, either express or implied, is conducted at home.”
The report includes 18 recommendations in all. Read the final report.
