Krizek: Improving school safety begins with prevention of violence

This column was submitted by Del. Paul Krizek (D-44), and does not necessarily represent the views of Covering The Corridor.

Earlier this week, the House Select Committee on School Safety met for the last time before we finalize over 60 recommendations and the cost for each to make schools safer across the Commonwealth. These recommendations can be found here. The Speaker of the House limited the Committee’s scope to not include any gun safety measures. I disagree and believe the best way to combat the increase in school shootings is to make sure fewer guns find their way into the hands of bad actors. Despite my philosophical disagreement, this committee is conducting critically important work.

Del. Paul Krizek

Here in the 44th district, in conjunction with my role on the Select Committee, I hosted a number of meetings with concerned citizens and I thank them for sharing their valuable time and expertise with me. The participants included educators, high school students, experts in school safety and active shooter response trainings, and equally concerned elected officials: State Sen. Adam Ebbin, Del. Mark Sickles, School Board Chair and Mount Vernon District member, Karen Corbett Sanders and Lee District School Board member Tammy Derenak Kaufax.

Our focus must start with the prevention of violence in our schools. Sixty-nine percent of school shootings end in five minutes or less. Over 50 percent end in less than two minutes. No matter how many school resource officers are present or how quickly law enforcement officials are called, there isn’t much you can do to stop a shooting once it starts. However, there are a number of good recommendations that focus on prevention of these tragedies before they occur.

More mental health support for our students is critical to preventing future violence. Currently, 1 in 5 children is diagnosed with a mental illness by age 18. Eighty percent of children that receive mental health treatment report only receiving that treatment at school. So, if the school does not have available mental health support, most students simply will not receive the help they need and that can lead to tragic results.

In response, the committee proposed that the ratio of school counselors be lowered from 500:1 to the Virginia Department of Education recommended 250:1 and that they spend 80 percent of their time on counseling work. Schools with lower counselor to student ratios have been found to have higher academic performance, better school climate and lower disciplinary rates, keeping students out of the school to prison pipeline.

We also discussed the possibility of creating a statewide anonymous tip line for students. Utah created a possible template for this app. Their app is staffed with mental health professionals 24/7 that students can call and text for mental health support or to report concerning behavior.

Another recommendation from the committee is moving the primary date from the second to the third Tuesday in June to ensure students are not in class while voters are moving in and out of schools. Following the same logic, I moved to include on the list of recommendations that November’s general election day be a school holiday.

Please make your voice heard regarding these recommendations on the public comments page of the Select Committee’s website. It is critical we hear from our constituents on these recommendations. We need to fulfill our obligation to provide children with a nurturing environment, easily accessible mental health services and most importantly of all, safe schools.