Texas lawmakers approve allowing public schools to hire chaplains to counsel students
May 25, 2023 GMTAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas would allow public schools to use campus safety money to hire chaplains to counsel students under a bill approved this week by state lawmakers and sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
GA-MASHASHANE, South Africa (AP) — At a high school in rural northern South Africa, more than 300 students and their teachers share three toilets, and that woefully lopsided figure isn't the worst problem.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Dozens of Serbian schools on Wednesday received bomb threats, the education ministry said, amid security concerns following two mass shootings early this month, including one in an elementary school.
Oklahoma leaders reach education deal on voucher-style tax credits, teacher pay hikes
May 15, 2023 GMTOklahoma City (AP) — Public school teachers across Oklahoma will receive pay raises of up to $6,000 annually under a deal announced by Republican leaders on Monday that also clears the way for a voucher-style tax credit program for families who homeschool their children or send them to private schools.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday signed into law legislation designed to place more school resource officers in Tennessee public and private schools, funnel additional money into school security upgrades, and require every school to submit annual safety plans to the state.
Wounded dean says student had been seen with gun before
May 9, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — A student who shot two administrators at a Denver high school in March before later killing himself had been seen with a gun there in the weeks before, according to one of them.
Another student reported the sighting to the administration at East High School but when officials went to search Austin Lyle, he fled, Wayne Mason, a dean at the school, said Monday in his first comments about the shooting.
A look at key bills signed into law by Indiana’s governor
May 4, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has completed his review of bills approved during this year’s legislative session by signing the last of them into law on Thursday and issuing no vetoes.
School ages near toxic plumes as Nevada tribe calls for help
April 28, 2023 GMTCARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — Cracked windows, a bat colony in the ceiling, spotty heating and close proximity to hazardous contaminants in a long-dilapidated school brought over 100 tribal members to the Nevada Legislature on Thursday, where they said longstanding funding pleas for a new school have been neglected.
Texas bill proposes up to $25K for armed school ‘sentinels’
April 25, 2023 GMTAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas schools could offer stipends of up to $25,000 to staff members who add the role of armed campus “sentinels” to their regular duties under a proposal advanced Tuesday by state lawmakers in response to the Uvalde classroom attack last year.
Indiana Senate approves handgun training fund for teachers
April 18, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana state Senators advanced a bill Tuesday that would make state funding available for teachers seeking firearms training, a move critics have said could increase the number of guns in school to the detriment of students.
Kemp signs bills aiming to improve school safety, literacy
April 13, 2023 GMTSAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Gov. Brian Kemp signed new laws Thursday that will require Georgia schools to perform annual drills for responding to campus shooters early in the school year and to perform literacy assessments for younger students three times per year to see if they can read at grade level.
Teacher shot by 6-year-old honored by Virginia Senate
April 12, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded in her first-grade classroom by a 6-year-old student was honored Wednesday by the state Senate for her “heroic actions” in hustling students to safety despite having life-threatening injuries.
Criminal probe focuses on school where boy, 6, shot teacher
April 11, 2023 GMTNEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Prosecutors in the Virginia city where a 6-year-old shot his teacher in an elementary school classroom are investigating whether the “actions or omissions" of any school employees could lead to criminal charges, according to court documents released Tuesday.
States aim to boost school safety after Tennessee shooting
April 2, 2023 GMTPORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In the wake of an elementary school shooting in Tennessee earlier this week that left three 9-year-olds and three adults dead, state legislatures across the country are moving forward with bills aiming to improve school safety.
911 calls reveal terror at Nashville school during attack
March 31, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities released 911 recordings on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Nashville elementary school during a mass shooting this week, as callers pleaded for help in hushed voices while sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background.
A college in upheaval: War on ‘woke’ sparks fear in Florida
March 30, 2023 GMTSARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — Professors at the New College of Florida are using personal email because they’re afraid of being subpoenaed.
Students are concerned, too. Some fear for their physical safety.
No confidence vote to go ahead after president’s resignation
March 29, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Temple University faculty union says it still plans to go forward with a no-confidence vote scheduled next month on two top officials following the announcement of the resignation of the university president.
Nashville shooting highlights security at private schools
March 29, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An alarm blared and lights flashed as a heavily armed assailant stalked the hallways of The Covenant School.
Temple’s 1st Black president resigns amid safety concerns
March 28, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jason Wingard, the first Black president at Temple University, is resigning after a tumultuous tenure of less than two years and amid a surge of violence that has affected the north Philadelphia campus.
Body found near Denver high school shooting suspect’s car
March 23, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — A body was found Wednesday night in the Colorado woods near the abandoned car that belonged to a 17-year-old student accused of shooting two administrators at his Denver high school earlier in the day, a sheriff said.
Transgender youth: ‘Forced outing’ bills make schools unsafe
March 23, 2023 GMTTULSA, Okla. (AP) — Al Stone-Gebhardt worked hard in school to make sure he graduates in May, and he spent hundreds of dollars on commencement regalia, but he is fully prepared not to participate in the ceremony.
Wisconsin Assembly votes to mandate school officers
March 14, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Schools that experience a high number of crimes would have to hire police officers and station them in their buildings under a Republican-authored bill the state Assembly passed Tuesday.
School that refused to play team with trans player barred
March 13, 2023 GMTMONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont religious school that withdrew its girls’ basketball team from a playoff game because a transgender student was playing on the opposing team won't be able to participate in future tournaments, the Vermont Principals’ Association announced Monday.
Georgia Senate gives final OK to gov.’s school safety bill
March 13, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Senate gave final approval Monday to a school safety bill pushed by Gov. Brian Kemp that includes annual active shooter drills, sending it to the Republican governor's desk for his signature.
Georgia’s Stegeman Coliseum closed after ceiling piece falls
March 3, 2023 GMTATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's Stegeman Coliseum has been closed for repairs after a small piece of concrete fell from the ceiling of the nearly 60-year-old facility that hosts several of the university's sports teams and school graduation ceremonies in the spring.
Detectives seek motive in fatal California school stabbing
March 3, 2023 GMTSANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Detectives on Thursday were investigating what prompted a fight between three students at a Northern California high school that ended in one fatally stabbing another as more than two dozen classmates watched.
Iowa school closed after shooting could reopen next week
February 17, 2023 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — At-risk highschoolers in Des Moines could return to an alternative education program as soon as next week amid enhanced security, a month after a shooting killed two of their classmates, the program's founder said Friday.
‘Run, Hide, Fight’ strategy common in lockdown generation
February 15, 2023 GMTThe terror induced by an alert to “Run, Hide, Fight” is not unique to Michigan State, where a gunman fatally shot three people as students barricaded doors and raced across campus in search of safety.
GOP push for teacher gun training passes Indiana House
February 14, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana House Republicans approved a bill Tuesday that would begin a state-funded handgun training program for teachers that critics argue would wrongly encourage more guns in classrooms across the state.
Gun, high-capacity magazine found inside Connecticut school
February 8, 2023 GMTHAMDEN, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut teenager was jailed on numerous charges Wednesday after a fight in school led to the discovery of a gun and a high-capacity magazine hidden in a classroom closet.
Full text of Gov. Bill Lee’s State of the State address
February 7, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Thank you very much. Lieutenant Governor McNally, Speaker Sexton, Speaker Pro Tem Haile, Speaker Pro Tem Marsh, Members of the 113th General Assembly, Justices, Constitutional Officers, cabinet members, staff members, friends, family:
School where boy shot teacher reopens with added security
January 30, 2023 GMTNEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher reopened Monday with stepped-up security and a new administrator, as nervous parents and students expressed optimism about a return to the classroom.
West Virginia advances gun bill for K-12 school staff
January 26, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A bill that would allow teachers, administrators and support personnel to carry guns in K-12 public schools is advancing in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
Students can apply to serve on education advisory panel
January 25, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Applications are now available for Kentucky high school students interested in serving on the Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council.
The group meets monthly with Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason E.
Anger grows in Virginia city where first-grader shot teacher
January 19, 2023 GMTNEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — When a 6-year-old shot and wounded his first-grade teacher in this shipbuilding city near Virginia’s coast, the community reacted with collective shock.
Washoe County School District to employ gun-detecting dog
January 16, 2023 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — Washoe County School District students will start seeing new additions to security on campuses this spring — including a gun-detecting dog.
A dog being trained to sniff out firearms will join school police officers in a few months, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.
McConnell: Funding to support school safety, mental health
January 13, 2023 GMTLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal agency will provide more than $2.3 million to two Kentucky organizations to support school safety and mental health, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said.
The Department of Health and Human Services is awarding more than $2 million to the Kentucky Educational Development Finance Corporation in Ashland and $250,000 to Seven Counties Services Inc., based in Louisville, the senator announced Thursday.
Metal detectors to be used in city where boy shot teacher
January 12, 2023 GMTNEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — Metal detectors will be installed in every school in the Virginia city where a 6-year-old boy shot and wounded his teacher last week, school officials said Thursday.
Shooting fallout: Metal detectors in elementary schools?
January 12, 2023 GMTNEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The shooting of a first-grade teacher by a 6-year-old boy has plunged the nation into uncharted waters of school violence, with many in the Virginia shipbuilding city where it happened demanding metal detectors in every school.
4 Philadelphia teens shot in drive-by near high school
November 23, 2022 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Four students were injured in an apparent drive-by shooting shortly after their Philadelphia high school let out early for the day late Wednesday morning, a city schools spokesperson said.
After school shootings, are states making classrooms safer?
September 6, 2022 GMTThe shooting last May that killed 19 children and two teachers inside an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, led to pledges by governors in several states to make classrooms safer.
Tennessee gov: Efforts underway through school safety order
August 31, 2022 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday that an executive order on school safety from June has so far produced a new mobile app, school behavioral health professionals in each county and updated law enforcement training and security assessments.
Arkansas lawmakers advance tax cut, school safety bills
August 9, 2022 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers advanced tax cuts and a school safety grant program on Tuesday as they began a special session spurred by the state's $1.6 billion surplus.
Arkansas lawmakers taking up tax cuts in special session
August 8, 2022 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers are meeting this week for a special session on tax cuts and school safety grants that's been spurred by the state sitting on a $1.6 billion surplus.
NC educators meet to address school violence, other issues
August 1, 2022 GMTEducators from across North Carolina are gathering for four days of training on how to support young children and adolescents facing an outbreak of violence and other problems.
The RISE Conference in Greensboro is sponsored by the Center for Safer Schools, part of the N.C.
Mental health figures into Pennsylvania’s education funding
July 12, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Amid a growing population of youth experiencing mental health crises, as well as another spate of mass shootings around the country, Pennsylvania lawmakers are prioritizing mental health services in this year’s budget by approving a first-time line item of $100 million for in-school support.
Knox County Schools ban backpacks for some students
July 9, 2022 GMTBARBOURVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky school district has banned middle and high school students from using backpacks to address safety concerns.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Knox County Schools will implement the policy when students return to school in August.
Murkowski calls Senate bill on gun violence responsible
June 24, 2022 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Thursday described as responsible and “targeted” a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing gun violence.
The Republican said the measure represents compromise.
Kemp pushes on school safety; Abrams seeks officer pay hikes
June 23, 2022 GMTGeorgia Gov. Brian Kemp and his Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams continued their bidding war on public safety Thursday, with Abrams proposing a big pay increase for state police and prison guards, while the Republican incumbent said Georgia will spend at least $8 million more on school safety after a Texas shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers.
Unlocked doors were ‘first line of defense’ at Uvalde school
June 23, 2022 GMTThe Uvalde massacre began after the 18-year-old gunman entered the school through a door that could only be locked from the outside then got inside a classroom that had a busted lock, experts testified Tuesday.
Teams organized to help with critical incidents at schools
June 17, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Justice is creating 12 regional teams to support schools around the state deal with critical incidents such as shootings.
Team members include law enforcement members, school administrators, counselors, social workers, nurses, teachers and others.
Mississippi school booster club raffles guns as fundraiser
June 16, 2022 GMTGULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — A booster group for a high school on Mississippi's Gulf Coast is raising money for a band trip with what a school safety group calls a “highly inappropriate” raffle of guns and ammunition.
Tentative Senate gun deal has surprises, and loose ends
June 14, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The outline of a bipartisan Senate agreement to rein in gun violence has no game-changing steps banning the deadliest firearms.
Ohio governor signs bill allowing armed school employees
June 13, 2022 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio school districts could begin arming employees as soon as this fall under a bill signed into law Monday by GOP Gov.
Senate negotiators announce a deal on guns, breaking logjam
June 12, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate bargainers on Sunday announced the framework of a bipartisan response to last month’s mass shootings, a noteworthy but limited breakthrough offering modest gun curbs and stepped-up efforts to improve school safety and mental health programs.
Governors forming task force to address mass shootings
June 11, 2022 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The leaders of the National Governors Association said Friday they're forming a bipartisan working group to come up with recommendations to stop mass shootings following the Texas school massacre.
Tennessee gov: No restricting firearms after mass shootings
June 6, 2022 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that he does not support restricting firearms or strengthening gun control laws in response to recent mass shootings in Tennessee and around the country, including the gunning down of 19 elementary school students and two teachers in Texas.
Uvalde school police chief faulted in shooting response
May 28, 2022 GMTThe police official blamed for not sending officers in more quickly to stop the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting is the chief of the school system's small police force, a unit dedicated ordinarily to building relationships with students and responding to the occasional fight.
Despite ample school security plan, Texas shooter found gaps
May 27, 2022 GMTRobb Elementary School had measures in place to prevent this kind of violence. A fence lined the school property. Teachers were ordered to keep classroom doors closed and locked. Students faced regular lockdown and evacuation drills.