Nothing is more important than the safety and well-being of our children, especially at school. This is why I was proud to support the following measures during the 2023 legislative session to help keep Hoosier students and schools safe.
- The new 2024-25 state budget appropriated $49.2 million over the biennium – an $11.2 million increase from the previous budget – to the Indiana Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) program, which helps Indiana schools fund resources to improve their security.
- House Enrolled Act 1492 expands the SSSG program’s qualified expenses to include threat detection equipment, safety-related training costs for staff and renovations to enhance school properties’ physical safety.
- HEA 1492 also requires counties to establish a School Safety Commission, which consists of various law enforcement and school officials from each school district in the county.
- Another new law requires a school corporation to prioritize bullying victims’ safety and increase communication regarding bullying incidents with the victims’ and offenders’ parents.
As students resume school in the next couple of weeks, parents should feel confident sending their children to school to receive a secure, high-quality education. This is why, as your state senator, I will continue to support measures that help Indiana schools maintain a safe environment where students can learn and grow.
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