Districts Examine Options for Improving School Safety
School districts, educators and elected officials throughout Wisconsin
and the nation are searching for ways to make schools safer in the wake
of the recent Colorado school shooting tragedy.
Schools in Wisconsin and other states have dealt with a rash of copy-cat
threats of school violence after the Littleton, Colorado, shooting that
left 15 people, including one teacher, dead. Schools have closed in a
handful of districts throughout the state, after receiving threats of
violence.
Wisconsin Attorney General Jim Doyle has proposed raising the legal age
for gun purchases to 21, and requiring background checks with waiting
periods for people who shop at gun shows.
Doyle and Superintendent John Benson had formed the Wisconsin Safe Schools
Task Force before the Colorado incident. The panel is seeking ways to
make schools safer. WEAC is represented on the task force by Legislative
Committee Chair Michael Walsh of Stoughton.
In the Legislature, Rep. Spencer Black has introduced a bill exempting
school district expenditures on security measures from revenue controls.
“This proposal will let local school boards take the steps that
they feel are necessary to keep our schools safe,” said Black. “State-imposed
mandates should not stand in the way of school districts doing what is
necessary to keep our schools safe.”
According to Black, “School districts should not have to choose
between spending on education and spending on security.”
The Legislature has also been considering a bill creating a special hotline
in the Justice Department to handle reports of guns or violence in schools.
“There is no simple solution,” WEAC Executive Director Terry
Herndon said. “All segments of society must work together to make
schools safe havens for our children.”
Herndon noted that overall, schools are safe.
“Statistically, school is one of the safest places many children
will be on any given day,” he said.
The National Education Association’s Web site offers resources on
school safety. The Safe
Schools section offers the latest data on school and gang violence,
updates on schools healing from last year’s shootings, and counseling
resources for children who witness violence.
The U.S. Department of Education’s “Keeping Schools and Communities
Safe” Web site was unveiled in May. It features publications, funding
opportunities, and organizations that can help keep schools and communities
safe. The address is: www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/safeschools.html.
Posted May 11, 1999