RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — Two agencies in Kentucky have the same goal, to keep schools in the Commonwealth safe. The state's school security marshal, Ben Wilcox, and executive director of the Kentucky Center for School Safety, Jon Akers, work together with the state's 171 districts to keep plans in place.
Akers says, "We do training, we do research, we work with legislators on a regular basis to help us craft laws.”
The School Safety and Resiliency Act of 2019 has a set of mandates that schools must follow. Some requirements include interior doors being locked during instructional time, controlling access to exterior doors, checking processing systems — like cameras, intercoms and automated locks, mandated counselors and trauma care.
Wilcox says, "The health of students along with the safety of students and staff — we want to have that tip line that's included in that bill, we want to have that counselor that's able to work with kids, that SRO is not only there as a protector but as a mentor."
Students at each school are encouraged to find an adult they trust that they can confide in for personal and emergency circumstances.
Henry Clay High School sophomore and KDE Student Advisory Council member, Peter Jefferson, says, "Sitting back and thinking after the tragedy in Uvalde, and considering how we as students can describe our voice and how we would like to proceed forward."
He explains that the student will present their recommendations on improved school safety.
"In this case, we're gonna present to the Kentucky Board of Education and to just continue to work on this project and continue to work with other people,” says Jefferson.
Each school district also has a school safety coordinator and each school has resource officers when funds are available. Regular risk assessments, training, drills, and updates are also performed. Both leaders say communication between the agencies, districts, and community is vital before, during, and after an incident.
Akers says, "Anybody in the community — kids, students, anybody... if they hear or see something, say something. And that's not just a cliché here, that's the actual thing that really helps prevent these things."
Instructions to access the school safety tipline can be found below:
