ATLANTA – State Representative Holt Persinger (R-Winder) will sponsor a comprehensive school safety plan, which is a legislative priority for House Speaker Jon Burns (R-Newington). The plan would enhance school security by mandating statewide participation in a new student information-sharing and safety database, implementing threat assessment teams in schools and requiring the use of an anonymous reporting app that meets specific standards. It will also address physical security infrastructure needs and increase penalties for making terroristic threats.
“I am honored to sponsor this critical school safety plan, which will help ensure our students and educators have the secure learning environments they deserve,” said Rep. Persinger. “No student should ever face uncertainty about their safety when going to school. The tragic event at Apalachee High School in my district of Barrow County should never have occurred, and I am dedicated to making sure it never happens again in any school across Georgia. I want to thank Speaker Burns for trusting me with this top priority and for his unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of our schools. Together, we are taking meaningful steps to protect our children, ensuring their safety, well-being and future.”
“Last year, our state witnessed an unimaginable tragedy at Apalachee High School when four Georgians were lost at the hands of an individual whose intent was to carry out a despicable act of evil,” said Speaker Jon Burns. “The Georgia House is committed to taking strong action to ensure no parent, student or teacher ever has to fear for their safety when they drop their children off at school, go to class or go to work. This school safety plan is a comprehensive approach to securing our school buildings, prioritizing the mental health of our children and keeping Georgia’s students safe.”
Below are the areas the school safety plan addresses:
School and Student Safety Database (S3)
Requires schools to participate in a statewide student information sharing database. Operated by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the School and Student Safety Database will be used to collect and integrate data to evaluate the behavior of students who may pose a threat to schools, school staff or students while maintaining the highest standards of student information privacy. The development and implementation of this system will allow for the timely transfer of pertinent student data between school systems, law enforcement and mental healthcare professionals–ensuring that students receive the resources they need no matter where they are in the state.
Threat Assessment Teams
Ensures each local school system implements a threat management team consisting of school administration, mental health professionals and law enforcement personnel and provides technical assistance for local school systems to develop policies and procedures for their threat management teams.
Anonymous Reporting App
Requires schools to utilize an anonymous reporting app where tips can quickly and efficiently be evaluated and provided to law enforcement and the necessary personnel across the state as needed.
School Safety Funding
Builds on prior state investments in school safety resources by providing an additional $50 million for one-time school safety grants for every public school across the state and allocating appropriations for the development of the S3 Database.
Student Mental Health Resources
Creates qualified mental health coordinator positions to allow for an individual to be primarily responsible for coordinating efforts to identify and intervene with students who are at risk of mental health concerns. Students will also be required to receive instruction in violence prevention and suicide awareness.
Increased Penalties for Terroristic Threats
Implements mandatory suspension for students who make threats until law enforcement and school personnel determine the student is cleared to return to school. This approach balances the immediate need to secure the safety and security of other students with the need to provide discretion to law enforcement and school systems.
Representative Holt Persinger represents the citizens of District 119, which includes portions of Barrow and Jackson counties. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2023 and currently serves as Secretary of the Budget & Fiscal Affairs Oversight Committee. He also serves on the Economic Development & Tourism, Natural Resources & Environment and Transportation committees.
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