Utah School Safety Commission logo courtesy House of Representatives
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A proposal asks for 195 million dollars to make schools safer in Utah. Most of that would go toward school building improvements.
164 million dollars in one-time funding would go toward physical changes at schools like all-new layouts, protective doors, and surveillance cameras.
“There could be construction that needs to be changed on a building to make the entryway safer or classrooms more safe, that could be software that helps with safety and reporting out an attack on a school more quickly so we can respond better,” said Representative Ray Ward in a presentation to the Education Interim Committee on Wednesday.
The proposal also calls for funding for a safety analyst position and threat assessment database at the state board of education.
As part of the proposal, $30 million would be used for schools to hire professionals specifically for mental health.
Some lawmakers seemed a little stunned by the size of the request. Lawmakers wonder if that kind of money could be better spent on teachers and students and counselors. Others worry schools would start to look like “fortresses” or “prisons” Lawmakers took no action during the meeting.