House Republicans have introduced legislation for the 2021-22 session to enhance school safety measures. HB 657 introduced by Representative John Torbett, and which passed the House, is entitled “School Safety/Threat Assessment Teams”. This bill would clarify the application of school safety requirements to public school units, to encourage certain nonpublic schools to take measures to improve school safety, to require that threat assessment teams be established at each public school unit, and to codify the duties of threat assessment teams.
Also, included in the state budget for 2021-22 fiscal year is a section for the “School Safety Grants Program” to be established. The school safety grants’ will go to additional services for students in crisis, school safety training, and increased safety equipment in schools.
Rep. Erin Paré stated, “As the mother of school-aged children currently enrolled in public school, making sure that our schools are secure is top priority for me as it is for every mother,father and North Carolinian. Never before have we as a country felt more urgency in doing everything we possibly can to secure our schools. The Republicans in the NC General Assembly have been leaders in investing in school security over many years, and we continue to lead in making sure our children are safe.”