Missouri could soon require its K-12 public schools to have doors with anti-intruder locks and bullet-resistant window film in new construction by 2029.
The state House of Representatives has passed a wide-ranging school safety package today that would also require Missouri to develop a traumatic blood loss plan for schools, which must include bleeding control kits.
Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph, is sponsoring House Bill 416.
“Most of us have all been trained on Stop the Bleed,” said Shields. “We have these kits around the Capitol. We need to have them in our schools.”
The package would require schools to adopt an emergency operations plan for school safety, crises, and disasters.
“Just this last week, 27 of our schools were impacted by severe storms. If the school district isn’t prepared for all disasters, it is hard to react quickly and in a proper manner,” said Shields.
Kathy Steinhoff, D-Columbia, opposes legislation because it requires school staff to complete eight hours of active shooter training. She was a longtime teacher before becoming a legislator.
“Just by putting the length on there doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a quality training, and I think it needs to be a quality training,” said Steinhoff.
Another objection is from Rep. Bill Hardwick, R-Dixon, about behavioral risk assessments of students. During enrollment, schools must request the assessments to determine if the students are demonstrating behaviors that put them at risk of endangering themselves or others.
“I have a problem with that just following the student forever wherever they go,” he said.
Another component added by Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly, would ban students from using their cell phone during class time at the minimum – with exceptions. But schools can decide if the ban should extend further than that, such as during lunch, study hall, in the library, etc.
“That’s an absolute safety issue, both for the mental health of the children, for the education of the children, and even during times of crisis,” said Lewis. “Some of the worst situations happen when so many people are trying to use their cell phones that they jam the towers, and then you can’t get the communication that needs to get through.”
Other pieces of the plan include:
*Students must participate in active shooter drills
*Schools must have a plan to respond when people have heart problems or other life-threatening emergencies while on campus
*School employees must take CPR training
*Allowing schools to make a request to the court system to exclude students from school if there is a likelihood of danger to students and employees. The information can be used to provide an alternative place for the student to learn.
*Schools must annually provide age-appropriate information on the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Courage2ReportMO reporting mechanism
A Missouri Senate committee is the bill’s next step.
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