PA 07-208—sSB 1110

Education Committee

Public Safety and Security Committee

Appropriations Committee

Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee

AN ACT CONCERNING SECURITY ASSESSMENTS AND ASSISTANCE FOR SCHOOLS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

SUMMARY: This act requires any school district applying for a state school construction grant for a new school or a major alteration, extension, renovation, or replacement of a school that involves a school entrance, to include in the project plans security infrastructure for the entrances. The act bars the State Department of Education (SDE) from approving plans for such projects if they do not include entrance security infrastructure. The new requirement covers school construction applications for projects to be included on priority lists submitted to the General Assembly for approval on or after July 1, 2008 (i. e. , project priority lists for 2009 and thereafter).

The act establishes a competitive state grant for FY 08 to improve security infrastructure in schools, install security systems in schools' primary entryways, purchase portable security devices, and train school personnel to use the devices and the infrastructure. The grants reimburse school districts for 20% to 80% of the eligible expenses for such security measures incurred after the act's effective date. The reimbursement percentage is based on the district's wealth. To receive a grant, a district must show that it (1) has conducted a uniform security assessment of its school entrances and any security infrastructure, (2) has an emergency plan at its schools developed with applicable state and local first-responders, and (3) periodically practices the plan. The security assessment must be carried out under the supervision of the district's local law enforcement agency and use the Safe Schools Facilities Check List published by the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.

Finally, the act requires colleges, universities, and private occupational schools to (1) by October 1, 2007, have emergency response plans and (2) by that date and annually thereafter, submit their plans to the public safety (DPS) and emergency management and homeland security (DEMHS) commissioners and local first-responders. Institutions must consult local first-responders in developing their plans. Each plan must include a method for notifying the institution's students, employees, and visitors of emergency information.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2007, except for the security grants, which take effect on passage.

SCHOOL PROJECT PLANS REQUIRING SECURITY INFRASTRUCTURE

The act's requirement that plans for state-reimbursed school projects include security infrastructure for any entrances involved applies to the following types of school building projects:

1. new construction,

2. extension (an addition to an existing school),

3. major alteration (a capital improvement in an existing school building costing more than $10,000),

4. renovation (totally refurbishing a school to make it the equivalent of a new school), and

5. replacement (a new school built on the same or another school site to replace an existing school).

SCHOOL SECURITY GRANT

The grant reimburses school districts for eligible expenses to develop and improve security infrastructure for school entrances, including surveillance cameras, entry door buzzers, scan cards, and panic alarms. Districts may also use a grant for (1) training school personnel to operate and maintain entrance security infrastructure and (2) buying such portable entrance security devices as metal-detector wands and screening machines and training school personnel to use them. Only expenses incurred on or after the act's passage are reimbursable.

The act requires the DEMHS commissioner to administer the grants within available appropriations, and the education commissioner to transfer funds appropriated to SDE for the grants to DEMHS under a memorandum of understanding between the two commissioners. School districts may apply for grants when and how the DEMHS commissioner prescribes. The DEMHS commissioner, in consultation with the DPS commissioner, determines which expenses are eligible for reimbursement. Reimbursement percentages range from 20% to 80% depending on wealth, with wealthier districts receiving a lower reimbursement. Town wealth is determined by the wealth measures used for the Education Cost Sharing and other state education grants.

If there is not enough money to reimburse every district for its full percentage, the commissioners must give first priority to applicants with schools they determine most need entrance security, based on the required security assessments. From among those applicants, they must give first priority to schools that have no entrance security infrastructure and second priority to schools located in priority school districts.

The act allows DEMHS to use up to 1. 5% of the total grant appropriation to administer the grant.

BACKGROUND

National Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities

The clearinghouse was created by the U. S. Department of Education and is funded by the department and overseen by its Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. It provides information on planning, designing, funding, building, improving, and maintaining safe, healthy, high-performance schools. The clearinghouse's Safe Schools Facilities Check List allows schools to assess the safety of their buildings and grounds.

OLR Tracking: JSL: JK: PF: TS