It was just two months ago when Gov. Brian Kemp hosted a roundtable school safety discussion with state and local law enforcement, education leaders and various elected officials. At the time, Kemp said he planned to continue such planning conclaves— a timely step especially in light of the tragic mass killing of school students by a crazed gunman in Uvalde, Texas.
What is very underreported is that the governor and legislature have made school safety a priority in recent years.
Bert Brantley, a top Kemp aide, notes that the state’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency leads school safety training efforts in partnership with other key agencies – like the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the Georgia Public Safety Training Center and the Georgia Department of Education. He says that later this summer, “GEMA will co-host the Georgia School Safety & Homeland Security Conference with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center and the Georgia Department of Education. Topics covered will include communication in emergencies, cyber security, law enforcement leadership, school safety plans, social media threats, threat assessment training, and more. At the conference, a newly updated school safety guide will be shared with all attendees.”
Brantley also has compiled an informative list of the programs, funding, and agencies dedicated to creating safe learning environments:
• In 2019, the governor set aside $69 million for school security grants, ensuring every public school in Georgia received $30,000 to implement school security measures.
• The state has consistently dedicated funds to the APEX program to focus on mental health in Georgia schools.
• In January of this year, the governor dedicated $6 million in additional funding for student mental health initiatives.
• The Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) will train over 300 School Resource Officers (SROs) in the field this year. They are currently reviewing basic SRO curriculum and any necessary protocol updates will be included in the next SRO class and will continue in the future.
• GPSTC will offer an additional six Active Shooter classes for SROs in partnership with the ALERRT active shooter training model.
• This legislative session, lawmakers passed and Kemp signed the Mental Health Parity Act which includes reforms and resources to address mental health challenges in Georgia. And well before the pandemic highlighted so many mental health issues, the General Assembly created the Mental Health Study Commission, which led to many of the final proposals included in the Mental Health Parity Act.
