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Senate Majority Policy Committee Releases Report on School Safety

Dec 26, 2018
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HARRISBURG – The Senate Majority Policy Committee, chaired by Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks), released its Report on School Safety. The report is based on ten public roundtable discussions held across the state, with input from a large number of safety professionals as well as students and local officials.

“We have an obligation, a duty to protect our children and our educators and staff in school,” said Senator Argall. “This report is the result of a bipartisan effort where state officials, safety experts, concerned citizens and school officials came together to talk about an issue that is never easy to address.”

Following the deadly shooting earlier this year at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, claiming the lives of 17 students and staff, many school districts around the country have been studying new strategies to keep their students safe.

“This is a sad reality that we must face,” Argall continued. “Each discussion was broken down into three parts: the impact of recently passed legislation; pending proposals in the General Assembly; and perhaps most important, new ideas to be developed for the legislature to consider.”

Most of the participants from the roundtable discussions agreed that the school resource officers are the best deterrent against school violence and one of the most important investments districts can make to increase safety. Focusing on mental health was also a key point of discussion regarding new strategies to combat school violence, which also included information regarding the state’s new bipartisan investment of $60 million for school safety initiatives.

Earlier this year, the General Assembly and Governor Wolf agreed to a new $60 million investment to provide school safety initiatives in the 2018-2019 state budget. Many schools planned to enhance anti-violence efforts and to invest in equipment designed to keep students safe.

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