Cell Phone Restrictions, Emergency Drill and Alerting Legislation, and the Role of IT in Physical Security

Welcome to the July edition of School Safety Today!  

Let’s dive in! 

It's hard to imagine a time when we didn't rely on cell phones for daily life. Thinking back to my high school days, I recall using a map in the car to navigate and waiting by the home phone for calls. Today, however, students have always known a world where cell phones are considered essential. 

While cell phones bring numerous conveniences, research has increasingly shown that they can also have negative impacts on students especially concerning mental wellbeing. Due to these adverse effects, particularly during the school day, many school districts and even state legislators are taking deliberate steps to limit cell phone use during school hours. 

It's interesting to note that some students have responded positively to limits, acknowledging that it's nice to have a break from the constant pressure to be on their phones. We must remember that students are still learning and look to us for guidance and support—even when it comes to managing cell phone use. 

~Dr. Amy Grosso, Director, Resident Expert at Raptor Technologies 

Rhode Island S2950, also known as the School Emergency Drills Act, was signed into law June 17, 2024, and amended Title 16 of the General Laws entitled "EDUCATION."  

The new requirements state that: 

• 6 fire drills shall be conducted, with at least 2 of these drills having at least 1 or more exits or stairways within the school building blocked off or unused. One of the fire drills may be substituted by an evacuation drill. 

• Effective 8/1/2025, school personnel and students will be required to participate in annual crisis response training and drills. (CSP alignment) 

• At the start of the school year, each September, schools shall provide parents or guardians with a written notification containing an overview of all fire, evacuation, and crisis response training and crisis response drills, including a description of each drill and its components. 

• Schools and school districts shall develop and implement a debriefing plan to use after a crisis response event occurs. 

• School safety plans must now include protocols for school personnel and students responding to swatting incidents and procedures for students and staff to prepare for and participate in emergency drills.  

Iowa House File 2652 was signed into law on May 17, 2024. Section 2 of the bill text states "A school district may purchase, install, and operate a mobile panic alert system if all of the following requirements are satisfied: 

1. The system is capable of connecting different emergency services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between school employees and law enforcement agencies. 
2. The system is capable of integrating with local public safety answering point infrastructure and existing land mobile radio platform technology to transmit 911 calls and mobile activations. 

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is working on creating a list of authorized vendors for school infrastructure and other school safety and security equipment (including panic buttons), as required by HF 2652.  

Hawaii Governor Signs House Bill 1800, Allocates Significant Funds for Education 

Governor Josh Green, M.D., has signed House Bill 1800 into law, marking a major milestone in Hawaii's commitment to education and public safety. This supplemental budget bill allocates $19.1 billion across various state needs, including more than $10.3 billion in general funds for operational support in fiscal year 2025. Here are the key allocations for education: 

• School Safety: $5 million dedicated to school security and active threat response training for public schools, along with $5 million for mobile applications aimed at mitigating threat-based safety risks. 

• Summer Learning Hubs: $20.9 million to ensure continued summer programming for students. 

• School Services: $18 million for the school food service program and $18.2 million for school bus contracts. 

• Staffing: $14.9 million in pay increases for educational assistants and vice principals, and $1 million for expanding nursing programs at UH Mānoa and UH West Oʻahu. 

• Special Programs: $1.3 million for the Hawaiʻi Keiki Healthy and Ready to Learn Program, $3.6 million for work-based learning for students with severe disabilities, and $3.7 million to continue the Hawaiʻi Promise scholarship program for community colleges. 

Governor Green emphasized that these investments are part of a comprehensive approach to support Hawaii's education system and ensure that families can thrive in the state. The budget also includes measures to aid Maui's recovery efforts and historical tax reforms to combat inflation, putting more money into local families' pockets. 

For more details on House Bill 1800 and its impact, view the press release from the governor’s office. 

States Tackle Student Cell Phone Use with New Legislation 

As concerns over student cell phone use during school hours continue to grow, several states have introduced or passed legislation to address this issue. These measures aim to mitigate the distractions and negative impacts of cell phone use on student wellbeing and learning. As of July 16, Pennsylvania is the most recent state to pass legislation encouraging schools to ban or restrict student cell phone use.  

States with Approved Legislation: 

• Florida: The first state to ban cell phones in K-12 classrooms, prohibiting use during instructional time. 

• Indiana: Passed a law in March 2024 that bans cell phones in classrooms. 

• Louisiana: Senate Bill 207, passed in April 2024, restricts cell phone use in schools. 

• Ohio: Signed into law in May 2024, every school district in Ohio must establish an official policy governing cell phone usage during school hours and aims to minimize student use of cell phones in K-12 schools. 

Research highlights the significant distractions caused by cell phone use during instructional time, contributing to issues such as academic dishonesty, cyberbullying, and sexting. Studies have shown that limiting cell phone use can lead to improved academic performance, particularly among disadvantaged students.  

Furthermore, mental health concerns are a driving factor behind these legislative efforts. The Gallup Familial and Adolescent Health Survey found that teens who spend extensive time on social media are more likely to experience negative emotions. By enacting these laws, states aim to create a more conducive learning environment, reduce distractions, and promote better mental health among students.  

Fiscal Year 2025 Hate Crimes Grant: Enhancing School Safety 

Application Deadline: July 22, 2024 

The Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS) has announced the Fiscal Year 2025 Hate Crimes Grant (HCG), a pivotal initiative aimed at bolstering school safety.  

The grant will provide $3M (up to $65,000 per award) to eligible local school systems, non-public schools, private schools, and childcare centers determined to be at risk of facing hate crime incidents. Allowable expenses include school safety training, security-related technology, access control, and other security-related facility upgrades. 

For further information or assistance, you can find the notice of funding availability here.  

Don't miss this opportunity to secure funding and enhance the safety of your educational environment. 

Wisconsin DOJ Office of School Safety: Enhancing Crisis Response Readiness 

This summer, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of School Safety (OSS) is providing regional training for schools on the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM). These trainings aim to improve crisis response readiness by teaching standardized, practical, action-based responses to school incidents. 

Key Components of SRP: 

• Hold: Keep hallways clear, usually in your room or area. 

• Secure: Get inside and lock outside doors to safeguard people inside the building. 

• Lockdown: Secure individual rooms and keep everyone quiet and out of sight. 

• Evacuate: Move individuals to a new location or out of the building. 

• Shelter: State the hazard and safety strategy to protect everyone. 

Key Components of SRM: 

• Alleviates stress during a crisis by maintaining a proper chain of custody for every student. 

• Ensures students are reunified with parents or guardians during various crisis responses such as fires, floods, threats, and acts of violence. 

The training is modeled after the "I love u guys" Foundation curriculum and includes both lectures and hands-on scenario practice. Wisconsin schools or districts interested in hosting a regional training session can contact OSS to request the free training.   

Traffic Safety Around Schools: A Growing Concern 

A recent survey by the National Center for Education Statistics’ School Pulse Panel has spotlighted a critical issue: traffic patterns around schools. According to the survey, 38% of school leaders believe that the traffic conditions near their buildings pose a significant threat to student safety during their commutes. 

Schools are encouraged to build relationships with local and state agencies responsible for road safety. Schools can also consider implementing remote drop-off locations and supporting dismissal protocols with integrated technology to manage safe dismissal practices. These strategies can reduce immediate traffic congestion around schools and provide students with an opportunity for physical activity, which has been shown to improve academic outcomes. 

On the role of school IT departments in safety and security: 

From Modernizing School Safety: The Strategic Role of IT Departments 

"Collaboration is huge. To truly ensure student safety, there must be no daylight between physical security and the IT layers, including cybersecurity and digital safety. Now that technology is incorporated into safety and security in a big way, working with IT to evaluate solutions will help you know if you’re going to get the return on investment you’re hoping for.” Dr. Joe Phillips, CIO of Fulton County Schools 

“We need to understand what vision our physical security team is trying to accomplish so that we as the experts on the IT side can come back and figure out what is the best way for us to deliver that decision for them." Jason Rooks, Executive Director of Operations and former CIO of Parkway Schools

On the value of SROs building healthy relationships with students 

Strength in Unity: Enhancing School Safety Through Law Enforcement Collaboration  

"As a patrol officer, I really work to be intentional when going to schools. I ask, “Is there anybody that needs a good interaction with a uniformed police officer that maybe can turn their day around or just give them a little bit of a different perspective?” Because we want that kid to feel safe at school. Because the goal is to educate that child—and because they need to have that sense of safety and security before they're able to be educated successfully.” Officer Meg Soultz, Co-founder of Rescue in Color 

Jul 28-31 

Oregon School Resource Officers Association Conference 

Seaside, OR  Seaside Civic and Convention Center 

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Jul 29-31 

Region One ESC 3rd Annual School Safety Conference 

Edinburg, TX  Region One Conference Center 

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Jul 29-Aug 2 

SSAC National School Safety Conference 2024 

Orlando, FL  DoubleTree Sea World Resort 

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Jul 30-31 

2024 Virginia School Safety Training Forum 

Hampton, VA  Hampton Convention Center 

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Jul 31-Aug 1 

Ohio School Safety Summit 

Columbus, OH  Greater Columbus Convention Center 

More Info