In Texas, There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Strategy For Keeping Schools Safe

Police response times vary widely, as do opinions about whether arming teachers would reduce the threat.

By Claire McInernyMarch 14, 2018 9:30 am, , ,

From KUT:

After the Columbine school shooting in 1999, the Texas Legislature created the School Safety Center, a research center at Texas State University that helps schools prepare for different kinds of disasters.

As the Trump administration launches a commission to explore ways keep schools safe, the center’s associate director for research and education offers a few options.

“You limit the amount of access points to a school,” Joseph McKenna said. “It could be working with your local and county law enforcement; it could be the marshal program; it could be arming staff. We have districts across the state that use all these different measures.”

McKenna says every community has different needs. Schools in areas where police response times are fast might be more comfortable relying on law enforcement, while schools in rural districts might lean toward arming teachers.

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