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department of justice

School Districts Can Now Apply For Department of Justice’s 2020 School Security Grants

Deadlines for the school security improvement funding are fast approaching, with districts needing to submit materials by mid to late April.

hospital entrance

As Hospitals, Nursing Homes Battle Coronavirus, Security Companies Offer Assistance With Cybersecurity Attacks

Ransomware attacks tend to spike in spring and summer months, creating a “near-perfect storm” for hackers to disrupt patient care.



school closed washington

Will School Closures Help Prevent Spread of Coronavirus? CDC Guidelines Say It’s Unlikely

Education officials say they are confused by competing guidance coming from the CDC and The White House, some of which states that temporary school closures will do little to contain the spread of COVID-19.

coronavirus cleaning

Does ‘Deep Cleaning’ Schools Help Prevent Coronavirus Spread? Experts Debate

While schools want to take action to keep students and staff safe from contracting COVID-19, public health officials say there is very little evidence that the virus is spread through contaminated surfaces.

florida state capitol building

Florida School Safety Legislation Dies On Last Day of Session

Amid coronavirus fears and budget debates, the House and Senate could not come together to finalize updates to Florida’s school safety laws.

Florida flag

School Safety Bill Passes Florida House With Amendment Addressing Child Arrests

The unanimously passed amendment came after a 6-year-old was arrested in Orlando for misdemeanor battery.

tony evers

Wisconsin Governor Signs Three Student Safety Bills Into Law

The legislation addresses the use of seclusion and restraints in schools, suicide prevention hotlines on IDs and a new mental health pilot program.

greg abbott

Texas Governor Announces Effort to Survey Educators on School Safety Needs

500,000 educators will have the opportunity to weigh in on mental health, violence in schools and what they need to make their schools safer.

Teachers’ Unions Say Active Shooter Drills Need Reform to Protect Student Mental Health

The AFT and NEA have released a paper stating that they do not recommend shooter drills and issued six key guidelines for districts that continue to conduct the drills.

penn capitol

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Debate Governors Proposal to Severely Cut School Safety Grant Program

Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed cutting available school security grant funding from $60 million to $15 million, a move that has earned criticism from Republicans.

ucla sign

UCLA Abandons Plans To Use Facial Recognition On Campus After Students Voice Concerns

The university publicly disclosed that it was considering adding facial recognition software to its security operations, but backed away from the proposal after students and faculty voiced their opposition.

florida capitol

Florida House Presents New School Safety Bill Focusing on Enforcing School District Compliance

The legislation includes measures for the state education commissioner to enforce security laws already on the books.

university of missouri

University of Missouri Adopts Student Tracking App For Class Attendance, Worrying Privacy Advocates

Similar technology is already widely in use by other universities to track students’ locations when they arrive for class.

ohio capitol

Ohio Bill Would Create Statewide School Marshal Program

The legislation would involve appointing a chief school marshal and 16 regional marshals to provide security services across Ohio.

central washington university

Washington Governor Proposes Giving Millions To Central Washington University To Improve Security

The university realized that it needed new video security and lock systems last year after false reports of a shooting spread rapidly across campus.

houston isd headquarters

Houston ISD Considers Metal Detectors in Schools After Student Dies In Shooting

The district has not committed to any significant upgrades, similar to the response after the Santa Fe High School shooting in 2018.

governor kim reynolds

Iowa Governor Introduces Plan to Establish School Safety Bureau For Training, Threat Reporting

The government is considering the creation of an app that would allow students and parents to anonymously submit tips about concerning behavior or mental health issues.

school hallway

Parents of Maryland Shooting Victim File Lawsuit Against School Board

The parents of Jaelynn Willey, a student at Great Mills High School who was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, say that the school knew of his violent behavior and should have done more to prevent her death.

Florida flag

Florida Senate Introduces Bill To Update School Safety Law, Address School Guardian Training Requirements

SPB 7040 would require sheriff’s offices to conduct psychological evaluations before a school employee is trained to be a guardian and limit that training to sheriff’s offices.

Kentucky School Resource Officers Would Be Required To Carry Firearm Under Proposed Legislation

The updates to a 2019 school safety bill would also require officers to be at every school campus where there are one or more buildings rather than every school.

new york school bus

New York Lawmakers Call For Increased Security Funding For Non-Public Schools

The budget request hopes to make Jewish educational institutions safer in the wake of an increase in anti-Semitic attacks.

police response vehicle

Teenager Shot and Killed At Bellaire High School Near Houston

Two suspects were arrested in the case, which the district attorney described as an accident between students who were friends.

dallas skyline

Dallas ISD Increases Security Measures Following Shooting at High School Basketball Game

The district is banning bags at games for the next week and considering the addition of weapons detection devices at event entrances.

school camera

Activist Groups Launch Campaign to Pressure Universities to Ban Use of Facial Recognition

Fight for the Future and Students for Sensible Drug Policy are behind the effort to pressure college administrators to not use facial recognition software on their camera systems.

texas school

Texas School District May Lose $2.3 Million In Phishing Cyber Attack

The scam, which took place in November, is being investigated by the FBI and local authorities.

clemson football

New Orleans Prepares Security Effort For College Football National Championship Game

Local authorities say they’ve been planning the security operation for two years, and are ready to ensure safety at the game between Clemson and LSU.

maine capitol

Maine Takes Steps To Establish School Safety Center

The state Department of Education hired two employees to focus on plans for a statewide policy-focused safety center, an idea lawmakers have pushed for years.

Secret Service Offers Training to Hundreds of Pennsylvania Educators and Safety Officials

More than 200 professionals attended the session, which focused on identifying troubled students and preventing violence.

courtroom

Parents of Student Killed at STEM School Highlands Ranch File Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Three other families, including that of a student who rushed the gunman at the school in suburban Denver, have also filed suit in the wake of their kids’ psychological injuries.

high school football

How Districts Are Addressing A Growing, Underreported Threat: Shootings at School Sporting Events

There have been at least 108 incidents of gunfire at school sporting events since 2013, according to a New York Times analysis.

Featured

  • 2024 Gun Violence Report Fewer Overall Incidents but School Deaths and Injuries Are on the Rise

    Omnilert, provider of gun detection technology, today released its compilation of Gun Violence Statistics for 2024 summarizing gun violence tragedies and their adverse effects on Americans and the economy. Read Now

  • New Research Highlights Need for Improved Cybersecurity in Schools

    Keeper Security, a provider of zero-trust and zero-knowledge cybersecurity software protecting passwords, passkeys, privileged access, secrets and remote connections, recently released its latest report, Cybersecurity in Schools: Safeguarding Students in the Digital Era. This global study highlights the growing cybersecurity challenges that threaten educational institutions, based on a survey of 6,000 parents and students across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, France, the UK, US and DACH regions. Read Now

    • Communication
  • Shooting Likely a Combination of Factors

    Following the deaths of a teacher and student at Abundant Life Christian School in, Madison, Wisc., police chief Shon Barnes indicated that the motive appears to be a “combination of factors” for a 15-year-old female student’s attack on a study hall. Read Now

  • Two Killed During Shooting at Wisconsin Christian School

    Two people were killed and five injured during a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis. on Monday. Read Now

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