Arkansas § 6-15-1303 - Safe Schools Initiative Act.

§ 6-15-1303. Safe Schools Initiative Act.

A school district shall develop a school safety plan and provide annual training for all of its employees and students, to the extent practicable, in preventing and responding to acts of violence, terrorism, natural disaster, and other emergencies, including without limitation: Tornado safety drills under § 6-10-121; Emergency plans and panic button alert systems under § 6-15-1302; and Annual active shooter drills and school safety assessments in collaboration with local law enforcement and emergency management personnel for all schools, including a school lockdown exercise with panic button alert system training. The purpose of the training is to allow participants to: Discuss simulated emergency situations in a low-stress environment; Clarify the roles and responsibilities of individuals and the logistics of handling an emergency on the school campus; and Identify areas in which the school safety plan should be modified. On or before September 1, 2015, a school shall provide floor plans and pertinent emergency contact information to be used in connection with the panic button alert system through the statewide Smart911 system. Public school administration shall update the information as necessary, including when substantial building modifications or changes are made. Information provided under this subsection is not a public record and is not available for public inspection. Subject to an appropriation and funding for this purpose, the Criminal Justice Institute shall provide the necessary training and education for: Personnel designated by a school district or an education service cooperative concerning the active shooter drills required under this section through its Safe Schools Initiative; and Law enforcement officers, emergency management personnel, and other persons who will conduct the school safety assessments and active shooter drills on a school campus under this section. The Safe Schools Initiative training for school personnel shall be hosted by an education service cooperative of which the school district is a constituent. The designated personnel who receive the Safe Schools Initiative training shall train other school employees and students. The Safe Schools Initiative training also may include without limitation the training and education needed to assist a public school in: Developing prevention strategies and enhancing existing crisis management plans for campus security and safety issues; Delivering education to students and faculty on public safety and legal topics such as drugs and alcohol abuse, sexual assault, bullying and cyber-bullying, gangs, preventing the possession of weapons by minors, and responding to the threat of weapons at school; Preparing school safety assessments; and Cooperating effectively with law enforcement officers in the school setting. The following agencies or persons may conduct a school safety assessment and active shooter drill for a school district after receiving training from the Criminal Justice Institute: The Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy; The Department of Arkansas State Police; The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management; The Black River Technical College Law Enforcement Training Academy; or Other persons or entities identified on the Criminal Justice Institute's website as having received the training. Annual training and active shooter drills may be conducted during the instructional day or during non-instructional time periods as determined by the school district. Subject to an appropriation and funding for this purpose, each public school, in collaboration with the school district, may install communications equipment that is interoperable with the Arkansas Wireless Information Network system.