School Safety Law Update

1. School Safety Law Update Review of SB 8/HB 354 and Best Practices Presenters: Don Martin Ed McCaw

2. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 December 14, 2012 – Newtown, Connecticut “Reset” School Safety all around the U.S.—if not the world! “We need to make our schools safer, not only by enhancing their physical security and making sure they are prepared to respond to emergencies like a mass shooting, but also by creating safer and more nurturing school climates that help prevent school violence.”  Source:  “Now is the Time:  The President’s Plan to Protect our Children and our Communities by Reducing Gun Violence” January 16, 2013

3. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 Everyone had the answer to “fix” school safety: • Call for Gun Control • Call for Metal Detectors

4. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 • Call for arming Principals and Teachers • Call for more law enforcement in the schools

5. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 KCSS Director, Jon Akers, crafted the legislation based on the following issues that arose after the Newtown tragedy on Friday, December 14, 2012.

6. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 • Friday, December 14 Jon was interviewed on radio and television. He assured listeners that all schools had Emergency Management Plans (EMP) and were prepared when safety issues arose. • Saturday December 15th Jon received phone calls from many (courageous) principals who had heard the interviews. They said that they did not have up-to-date EMP’s and needed help developing them.

7. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 • KASSP Board of Directors Jon spoke to this Board in December, 2012. They advised him that principals needed to review the EMP for their schools. • Plantsville, Connecticut - January 7th Jon met with 890 school administrators and first responders. They were looking at best practices and EMP’s.

8. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 • Jon developed ideas for possible legislation Big issue – this was a non-budget year. • Ideas were shared with KASS, KASA, KSBA, KEA, Law Enforcement officials and KDE • Jon met with Sen. Wilson and Rep. Henderson Sen. Wilson Rep. Henderson

9. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 • Liability issues from prior lawsuits were considered, such as: • Schools/districts which did not have an EMP • Schools/districts which had an EMP, but had not reviewed or revised it. • Schools/districts which had an EMP, but had not presented and reviewed it with SBDM Councils and/or faculty and staff. • Schools/districts which had an EMP, but had not practiced it with students.

10. Historical Context of SB 8/HB 354 The result of this effort is Senate Bill 8/House Bill 354 – both identical in content. We will now review the requirements of this law for schools and districts.

11. Safety Assurances - Schools • Does each school have a written Emergency Management Plan (EMP)?

12. Safety Assurances - Schools • Did the SBDM Council adopt a policy requiring the development and adoption of an EMP? Date: __________ • Did the SBDM Council adopt the EMP? Date: __________

13. Safety Assurances - Schools • Has each school provided the local first responders with a copy of the school’s EMP and copy of the school’s floor plan?

14. Safety Assurances - Schools • Has the EMP been reviewed and revised as needed by the SBDM Council, Principal, and first responders (annually)? Date: __________

15. Safety Assurances - Schools • Was the EMP reviewed with the faculty and staff prior to the first instructional day of the school year? Date: __________

16. Safety Assurances - Schools • Were local law enforcement and/or fire officials invited to review the EMP?

17. Safety Assurances - Schools • Is the school’s emergency plan released in response to an Open Records request?

18. Safety Assurances - Schools • Are evacuation routes posted in each room at any doorway used for evacuation, with primary and secondary routes indicated?

19. Safety Assurances - Schools • Has the local Fire Marshal reviewed the designated safe zones for severe weather and are they posted in each room? Date: _______

20. Safety Assurances - Schools • Have practices been developed for students to follow during an earthquake?

21. Safety Assurances - Schools • Has each school developed and adhered to practices designed to ensure control of access to each school (i.e., controlling access to exterior doors, front entrance, classrooms, requiring visitor sign-in and display of identification badges)?

22. Safety Assurances - Schools • Has each school completed all four emergency response drills during the first 30 days of the school year? (Fire in compliance with Fire Safety regulations, Lockdown, Severe Weather, and Earthquake)

23. Safety Assurances - Schools • Are processes in place to ensure all four emergency response drills(Fire in compliance with Fire Safety regulations, Lockdown, Severe Weather, and Earthquake) will occur during the month of January?

24. Safety Assurances - Districts We will now review the required safety assurances for school districts in Kentucky.

25. Safety Assurances - Districts • Has the board required each school council, or if none exists, the principal, to adopt an emergency plan to include procedures to be followed in case of fire, severe weather, or earthquake, or if a building lockdown is required? Please respond to the following questions for all schools in the district. If all schools in the district have not met the requirement, respond in the negative.

26. Safety Assurances - Districts • Does each school have a written Emergency Management Plan (EMP)? • Did each SBDM Council adopt a policy requiring the development and adoption of an EMP? Date: _________ • Did each SBDM Council adopt an EMP? Date: ________

27. Safety Assurances - Districts • Has each school provided local first responders with a copy of the school’s EMP and a copy of the school’s floor plan? • Has each school’s EMP been reviewed and revised as needed by the SBDM Council, principal, and first responders (annually)? Date _________ • Was each school’s EMP reviewed with the faculty and staff prior to the first instructional day of the school year? Date: ________

28. Safety Assurances - Districts • Were local law enforcement and/or fire officials invited to review each school’s EMP? • Are each school’s emergency plans released in response to an Open Records request?

29. Safety Assurances - Districts • Has the board required each school council, or if none exists, the principal, to implement the following school safety requirements? Please respond to the following questions for all schools in the district. If all schools in the district have not met the requirement, respond in the negative.

30. Safety Assurances - Districts • In each school, are evacuation routes posted in each room at any doorway used for evacuation, with primary and secondary routes indicated? • In each school, has the local Fire Marshal reviewed the designated safe zones for severe weather and are they posted in each room? Date: ________

31. Safety Assurances - Districts • Have practices been developed in each school for students to follow during an earthquake? • Has each school developed and adhered to practices designed to ensure control of access to the school (i.e., controlling access to exterior doors, front entrance, classrooms, requiring visitor sign-in, display of identification badges)?

32. Safety Assurances - Districts • Has each school completed all four emergency response drills during the first 30 days of the school year? (Fire in compliance with Fire Safety regulations, Lockdown, Severe Weather and Earthquake) • In each school, are processes in place to ensure all four emergency response drills (Fire in compliance with Fire Safety regulations, Lockdown, Severe Weather and Earthquake) will occur during the month of January?

33. Timelines and Reporting • Assurances should be entered in the school’s CSIP no later than November 1, 2013. • Assurances should be entered in the district’s CDIP no later than November 1, 2013. (KDE will be offering a webex as soon as the ASSIST has finished uploading the assurances into your system.) Link to access more information on SB 8/HB 354, including worksheets and assurances for schools and districts: http://education.ky.gov/school/sdfs/Pages/SB8HB354%20Safe%20Schools%20Statute.aspx

34. Summary • If your school has no EMP, develop one. • Review your EMP annually. • Revise your EMP as needed. • Share the EMP with staff prior to the start of school. • Staff – certified, classified, substitutes • Document attendance • Practice the plan with students the first thirty instructional days of the school year and again in January.

35. Contact Information School Safety Assurances – KDE Toyah Robey Toyah.Robey@education.ky.gov Libby Taylor Libby.Taylor@education.ky.gov Tom Edgett thomas.edgett@education.ky.gov Kentucky Center for School Safety (877) 805-4277 Jon Akers, Director jon.akers@eku.edu