kentucky capitol

Kentucky Legislature Grapples With High Costs of School Safety Bill

After signing school safety legislation into law, the legislature must now find the millions of dollars necessary to fund more counselors and school resource officers in a tight budget.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • January 08, 2020

Kentucky legislators heralded the passage of a school safety bill last year that provides districts with funding for more counselors, school resource officers and other resources to support students facing traumatic experiences.

But, while the bill was signed into law last spring, the legislature is still struggling to find the money necessary to fund the expansion of mental health and security improvements, according to The Bowling Green Daily News.

Representatives will have to sort out the issue as they craft a two-year state budget during the new session, which began Tuesday. The funding for the bill could be in jeopardy as Kentucky faces a potential budget shortfall of over $1 billion.

Education leaders say they are confident that lawmakers will make school safety a priority in the new budget. Jim Flynn, the leader of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents told the Daily News that the organization is working with the Kentucky School Boards Association to make the case to lawmakers about the high costs of paying for counselors and facility upgrades over the course of several years.

“Many superintendents are concerned about the facility improvements and having a funding stream to make those happen,” Flynn said.

Read More: Health Researcher Says Kentucky Is Not Doing Enough for School Safety through Senate Bill 1

To comply with the measures laid out in the legislation, school districts across the state would be on the hook for at least $121 million more each year, according to an estimate from the Kentucky School Boards Association. That doesn’t include the expected $18 million cost for security improvements to school buildings.

“KSBA and other education groups will continue to advocate for adequate state funding of our public schools, including monies designated for school safety,” Joshua Shoulta, director of communications for the KSBA, told the Daily News.

The call for more school safety funding comes as Kentucky schools have already been forced to cut school transportation costs, preschool services, textbooks and teacher training.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Door Hardware and Campus Security: Enhancing Safety in Schools

    The importance of investing in school safety cannot be overstated, but knowing where to start implementation of school safety features can be a challenge. A recent survey by the National Center on Education Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. public schools have classrooms with doors that can't be locked from the inside. Even among schools with doors that do lock, recent legislation reflects a common misconception that simply keeping the doors locked all day will eliminate the potential for an attack, in direct violation of PASS (Partner Alliance for Safer Schools) Guidelines. Read Now

  • Brigham Young University Strengthens Campus Security With Genetec Operations Center

    Genetec Inc, a provider of enterprise physical security software, announced that Brigham Young University's (BYU) has optimized its security operations with the Genetec™ Operations Center work management system. Read Now

  • AI-based Risk Mitigation: The Next Advancement in Video Surveillance and Public Safety

    Safety is at the forefront of every organization and covers a gamut of scenarios, not just weapon-fueled lethal threats. It also includes smaller-scale and everyday situations like slipping hazards, fallen persons, unauthorized vehicles, and more. These issues cause disruptions in daily operations and cost companies and facilities money and downtime, so a fully realized security plan must involve actions that facility personnel should take once a hazard of any size occurs. Informing everyone that a hazard exists, where it’s located, and what actions to take is imperative for maintaining personal safety. Read Now

  • Fort Worth ISD Strengthens Event Safety

    The issue of concealed weapons being introduced into school extracurricular activities, including sporting events and graduations, became a growing concern in communities across the nation. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols. Read Now

Most   Popular