School Safety Reforms Central to President Obama’s Gun Control Proposal

President Barack Obama presented a sweeping set of gun control recommendations on Wednesday, with many focused directly on increasing safety measures in schools.

According to the Politics K-12 blog, the proposals signal a shift in federal priorities—the proposals ask for increases in school safety and mental health counseling funding, areas the administration has sought to cut in the budget in recent years.

Check out the Politics K-12 post for a more in-depth look at the proposals, which includes creating model emergency response plans for institutions like schools and providing $50 million for training for professionals like social workers and counselors who plan to work with young adults.

The full text of the plan can also be found on the White House website.

The local school safety conversation

In the month since the , this issue has been at the forefront of conversations across the country, including Northeast Ohio. School districts from North Canton to Lakewood to Mentor have taken the issue on, opting to strengthen their ID policy for visitors and looking for ways to identify students who need extra support.

(Find the full list of executive actions, which can go into effect immediately without congressional approval, on the New York Times’ website.)

In North Canton, school administration has talked with police and fire officials, as well as the community, in determining what safety features North Canton Schools should have. In fact, the community came together Tuesday night to discuss just that.

Superintendent Michael Hartenstein and Police Chief Stephan Wilder answered questions from dozens of community members inside Hoover Hall. Concerns included: safety inside the school as well as on the buses and at the bus stops; preventing an intruder from entering the school, especially through a glass side door; how to more effectively screen visitors coming into the school buildings; and whether metal detectors might be helpful in stopping crime.

Check out North Canton Patch's coverage of that meeting to learn more.