Your school could spend safety money on counselors, threat reporting, and mental health support
What it does
The bill would rewrite the list of approved uses for the school safety allotment under the Foundation School Program. Under the amended list, districts could spend the money on licensed counselors, social workers, behavioral interventionists, chaplains, and people trained in restorative discipline, on programs that address adverse childhood experiences, and on suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention programs. The list also covers physical security, including locking systems, security film, security cameras, silent panic alert devices, two-way radios, school marshals, school resource officers, and a school safety director. A new item would allow money for programs focused on restorative justice practices, culturally relevant instruction, and mental health support, and the bill would take effect September 1, 2027.
What it means for your community
Districts would have more ways to spend the safety allotment, so what reaches your child's campus could include more counseling and behavior support. Items such as locks, security film, cameras, panic alert devices, two-way radios, and school resource officers would remain approved uses. Because districts decide how to use the money, the result would vary from one campus to the next. The bill is introduced only, so none of these uses are in place yet.
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