North Carolina Behind on Roll Out of School Safety App

North Carolina Behind on Roll Out of School Safety App

North Carolina students and parents were suppose to have access to an app this school year that would allow them to anonymously report tips on potential school dangers. However, the state superintendent said it has been delayed.

  • By Sherelle Black
  • October 16, 2019

North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson made a promise to the students and parents in the state earlier this year: they will be able to anonymously report school dangers through an app when school begins.

However, it is now October and the app has not been rolled out at all.

“We’ve already built the connections in schools. It’s the 9-1-1 centers that have unfortunately taken time to get them on board,” Johnson told NBC Charlotte.

Johnson said the majority of centers are ready and excited for the rollout, however, the others he has to “kind of twist their arms a little more to say this happening.”

The app, which is called Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, is sponsored by the Sandy Hook Promise and has already been implemented in more than 5,000 schools across the nation.

In a fact sheet, it states 80 percent of school shooters tell someone of their violent plans and 69 percent tell more than one person, which is why the system is important.

Once the tip is reported through the website or mobile app, the tips are sent to school officials and law enforcement, if needed. From there, officials will decide on how to proceed.

NBC Charlotte said North Carolina will be the second state to roll out the app statewide. 

“We are set for statewide launch at the beginning of next calendar year and we’re actually going to start launching it regionally before that,” said Johnson.

 And although behind schedule, Johnson said if the app saves even just one life once rolled out, it will be worth the wait.

 “We’ve seen too many tragedies happen because the warning signs were there, but the tips didn’t get to where they needed to go, or if they did, the right actions weren’t taken that could have prevented a terrible tragedy,” he said.

 

About the Author

Sherelle Black is a Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

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