PENNSYLVANIA: Making Schools Safer: Trained Security, Attention to Mental Health among Top Recommendations

PennLive

A state task force has issued recommendations for improving school safety in Pennsylvania. A just-released report contains 32 recommendations developed with input from students, parents, teachers, school officials, and law enforcement. They include adding mental health screenings to school physicals, ensuring mental health counselors are available in every school, and relying on law enforcement and other trained officials for school security. While the report highlights the need to tailor safety recommendations for each school, it emphasizes the importance of increasing access to mental health services in all school settings. The Pennsylvania governor and auditor general convened the task force in March, prompted by the February mass shooting at a school in Parkland, Florida. “This is a report that is launching today but the work is never going to end,” said Auditor General Eugene DePasquale. “It’s going to require moving forward constant communication among all the people involved in this issue to make sure we’re continually updating what needs to be done.”

Spark Extra! Read the full report.