NC Safer Schools Act

North Carolina --  August 1, 2023: As the next school year approaches, kids, teachers, and parents are paying more attention than ever before to safety issues. North Carolina has passed a new law that goes into effect this school year. 

North Carolina passed House Bill 605, the Safer Schools Act. The bill establishes danger assessment teams in all state public schools starting in 2024-25.

Multidisciplinary threat assessment teams evaluate and respond to school violence threats. School administrators, police, mental health specialists, and others make up the teams.

HB 605 mandates threat assessment team assistance from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Center for Safer Schools. The guidelines will cover threat identification, intervention development, and outcome tracking.

The bill mandates peer-to-peer counseling in schools. Student-to-student therapy is delivered by students. Peer-to-peer counseling helps students with mental health issues.

Due to the rise in US school shootings, HB 605 was passed. The measure helps schools deal with violent threats.

In addition to these specific steps, schools are also working to make schools safer by creating a culture of safety and respect. This includes teaching students how to deal with conflicts, how to report threats, and how to stop bullies. It also means making sure that kids feel safe and respected at school.

From Press Release WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2023 North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:

Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) Executive Director Karen W. Fairley said she and State Superintendent Catherine Truitt have advocated for threat assessment legislation since coming into office in 2021. 

“It’s not punitive – it allows us to identify children who might be a danger to themselves or others and gives them the assistance and resources that they deserve,” Fairley said. 

The CFSS hosts online School Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Training quarterly in partnership with the BeTA Unit of the State Bureau of Investigation.

Truitt said HB 605 will enhance what the training has provided. 

“Nothing is better than having fully-formed threat assessment teams in our schools,” she said. “A fully-functioning threat assessment team is a critical component of keeping schools safer and preventing violence.” 

Behavioral threat assessment is a best practice for helping to identify potential threats in K-12 schools and school districts. Behavioral threat assessment and management provide a proactive, evidence-based approach for identifying individuals who might pose a threat to themselves or others and for providing intervention before an incident occurs. 

HB 605 mandates that the Center for Safer Schools shall develop guidance for threat assessment teams for public schools. The CFSS shall develop the guidance by collecting information and best practices from schools with existing threat assessment teams and consulting with the Task Force for Safer Schools, Disability Rights North Carolina, North Carolina School Psychology Association, SBI, and relevant state government agencies. 

HB 605 also will establish peer-to-peer student support programs at all schools with grades 6 and higher. Schools are encouraged to implement peer-to-peer student support programs as appropriate in other grades. 

The CFSS will support school counselors in the administration of peer-to-peer programs that address areas such as conflict resolution, general health and wellness, and mentoring. 

Fairley said peer-to-peer counseling is critical to keep schools safer. 

“Students trust their peers. Other than their parents, no one knows them better,” she said. “It’s crucial to a child’s mental health for them to be able to confide in and receive assistance from someone they can relate to.” 

The primary sponsors of HB 605 were Reps. John Torbett, R-Gaston; Hugh Blackwell, R-Burke; and Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg. The legislation received unanimous Senate approval (46-0) on Wednesday, June 21 and passed the House 115-4 on Tuesday, June 27. 

House Bill 605 was sent to Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday, June 28 for his signature to become law. 

About the Center for Safer Schools 

The Center for Safer Schools serves to promote safe learning environments for North Carolina K-12 schools. The CFSS serves as a hub of information and technical assistance on school safety to school faculty and staff, law enforcement, youth-serving community agencies, juvenile justice officials, policymakers, parents/guardians, and students. CFSS staff focuses on school climate, school discipline, and emergency preparedness concerns for North Carolina’s public K-12 schools. CFSS staff is available to provide training, guidance, and technical assistance upon request for school faculty and staff and those working with children and adolescents. The CFSS is headed by Karen W. Fairley, Executive Director.  

WNCTimes Marjorie Farrington