Gov. Bob McDonnell issued an executive order Thursday to establish a multidisciplinary school safety task force, following a verbal directive announced Monday.
The task force, which will review school and campus safety, was prompted by the murders of 20 students and six teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. on Dec. 14. McDonnell also established a separate mental health workgroup chaired by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel.
The school safety task force will begin working “promptly,” according to a press release from the governor’s office. In his executive order, McDonnell asked for initial recommendations to be sent no later than Jan. 31, 2013 in order to be considered by the governor and General Assembly during its session, which begins Jan. 9. A final report must be provided to McDonnell no later than June 30, 2013, allowing time for implementation of recommendations before the new school year begins.
“Like most Americans, especially parents with children, my wife and I sat in stunned and tearful disbelief at the unfathomable shooting of 20 innocent little children and their six educators in Connecticut last week,” McDonnell said. “Even with raw emotions still running so high, it is prudent to begin to consider reasonable policy changes. Public safety is a primary responsibility of every level of government. In the aftermath of the horrific and senseless shootings, I have asked all local and state leaders that play a role in school or campus safety to review the procedures, plans, policies and resources dedicated to this effort.”
The task force will be co-chaired by the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Public Safety and the Secretary of Health and Human Resources. Its members will include representatives from state agencies, law enforcement, health care entities, public and private education systems and the private sector. The members will discuss best practices, but also identify vulnerabilities.
Their responsibilities will include evaluating of school safety audits, identifying ways to improve and expand the use of School Resource Officers in public schools and examining current laws to identify gaps. See the full text of the executive order.
