06/10/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/10/2022 16:19
LITTLE ROCK - With the increased concern about school safety in the wake of recent events around the nation, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced today that he has issued an executive order to reinstate the Arkansas School Safety Commission.
"The recent violence in Texas was a stark reminder that the work of securing our schools is never done," Governor Hutchinson said. "That is why I am calling the Arkansas School Safety Commission back into service. Members of the commission, which I created in 2018, submitted thirty significant recommendations in their original 124-page report. School districts around the state have implemented many of the recommendations.
"But it is crucial that we constantly assess the security of our schools and keep abreast of the best ways to ensure our children and educators are safe. The original commission built a solid foundation on which to continue this vital work."
Members of the commission will review the final report from the Commission in 2018. They will update the analysis of the safety of K-12 schools throughout the state taking into consideration the physical and mental health of students. The Commission will identify any new recommendations of best practices in school safety that have developed since 2018.
The School Safety Commission's first meeting will be Tuesday, June 14, at the state capitol, and the initial report is due to Governor Hutchinson on August 1, 2022.
The commission will include a representative from the Arkansas Attorney General's office, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM), the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA).
The commission also will include the director of the CJI, a county sheriff, a public school superintendent, a public school teacher, a public school counselor, and a former federal law enforcement officer.
Members of the commission are as follows:
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