Section 16-1-44 (Effective January 1, 2010) School safety plans.
Section 16-1-44
(Effective January 1, 2010) School safety plans.
(a)(1) Each local board of education shall adopt a comprehensive school safety plan for each school under the authority of the board.
(2) The local board or its agent shall examine the conditions and operations of each school under the authority of the local board to determine hazards to student and staff safety and shall propose changes, if needed to promote the prevention of dangerous problems and circumstances.
(3) In developing the plan for each school, the local board or its agent shall involve community law enforcement, safety officials, teachers, and nonteaching employees who are assigned to the school.
(b)(1) The board shall incorporate into the plan the following:
a. A protocol for addressing serious threats to the safety of school property, students, employees, or administrators.
b. A protocol for responding to any emergency events that compromise the safety of school property, students, and employees.
(2) Each protocol shall include procedures for responding to threats and emergency events, respectively, including such action as notification of appropriate law enforcement and emergency response personnel for assistance, and informing parents of affected students.
(c)(1) The board shall update the safety plan whenever a major modification to the building requires changes in the procedures outlined in the plan, and at other necessary times.
(2) Upon request of law enforcement or safety officials, or both, the local board shall provide a copy of the current school site and safety plan, which shall be kept in a secure place and not considered public record.
(d) The local board shall grant access to each school under its control to law enforcement and fire department personnel to enable them to prepare for responding to threats and emergency events affecting the school. Such access shall occur outside of student instructional hours and an employee of the board shall be present.
(e) The principal or his or her designee shall instruct and train students concerning procedures to be used for drills and evacuations. The principal or his or her designee shall ensure that all safety and security drills and procedures are conducted and performed no less than what is required by state or federal law, or both. The doors and exits of each school may be locked from the outside but shall allow for immediate egress by those inside the building during school hours and at all school functions.
(f) In conjunction with drills or evacuations required by subsection (e), a principal or his or her designee shall instruct students in safety precautions to be taken in case of a severe weather watch, alert, or warning. A principal or his or her designee shall designate, in accordance with standards prescribed by the local superintendent of education in conjunction with local public safety officials and the fire marshal, or appropriate local fire safety official in counties that do not have a fire marshal, appropriate locations to be used to shelter students in case of a severe weather watch, alert, or warning.
(g) In addition to the requirements of subsection (e), the principal or his or her designee shall conduct a school safety drill at least once each school year to provide students with instruction in the procedures to follow in the case of a threat to the school involving acts of violence, such as terrorism, a person possessing a firearm or a deadly weapon, or any other act of violence. The principal or his or her designee shall hold annual training sessions for employees of the school regarding the school safety drills and procedures to be conducted during a school year.
(h) Appropriate disciplinary action shall be taken against any principal or his or her designee who knowingly neglects or refuses to comply with the requirements of this section.
(i) This section shall be read in pari materia with other laws relating to school safety and emergency planning.
(Act 2009-655, §§1,2.)