04/19/1999 01:38 PM Senate HES

                   SB 125-SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN MILLER brought up SB 125 and invited Senator Hoffman's                                                                 
staff to present it.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
Number 389                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR.TIM GRUSSENDORF, Staff Aide, explained that Senator Hoffman was                                                              
requested by the Lower Kuskokwim School District to introduce SB
 to address their concerns about school crisis response                                                                      
planning.  In February 1997, gunfire exploded in the hallways of                                                                
the Bethel Regional High School and ended the lives of Principal                                                                
Ron Edwards and student Josh Palacios. The actions that took place                                                              
immediately following this tragedy still haunt the residents of                                                                 
Bethel with questions about who was in charge and what should have                                                              
been done in a case like this.  In Bethel the crisis was magnified                                                              
because one of the people in charge whom people looked to for                                                                   
direction and support, the principal, was one of the victims.  MR.                                                              
GRUSSENDORF said Senator Hoffman sincerely hopes that no other                                                                  
school or community will experience this type of trauma.  However,                                                              
if a similar incident should occur in any school in Alaska, SB 125                                                              
would assure communities that a crisis response plan is in place,                                                               
with preparedness to respond to the situation.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. GRUSSENDORF said this is a work in progress and Senator Hoffman                                                             
wants the bill to be user friendly and inclusive, without placing                                                               
a financial burden on the schools. SB 125 has had valuable input                                                                
from individuals and organizations involved in school safety                                                                    
issues, and the sponsor will continue to work with any group to                                                                 
address their concerns.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Early on, it became clear the scope of the bill is very broad and                                                               
can involve a variety of school safety issues.  The sponsor intends                                                             
to keep it a crisis response bill to ensure that all schools have                                                               
a site-specific crisis response plan in place, and to work on                                                                   
school safety issues in future legislation.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR. BRUCE JOHNSON, Director of Division of Teaching and Learning in                                                             
the Department of Education, spoke in support of SB 125.  The                                                                   
department believes it's important that all students are provided                                                               
protection that may come from proactive planning in each school                                                                 
community.  A requirement directing each school to develop a school                                                             
crisis plan in conjunction with key community members is a good                                                                 
idea.  Given Alaska's diversity, latitude is necessary to allow                                                                 
each school to identify the appropriate members of the planning                                                                 
team consistent with services available in a particular community.                                                              
The department also urges that the content sections of the bill                                                                 
remain sufficiently broad to allow community and school flexibility                                                             
while ensuring the safety of students.  MR. JOHNSON said the                                                                    
department looks forward to working with Senator Hoffman on this                                                                
incremental approach to advance planning for potential crises in                                                                
our schools.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR. ROBERT BUTTCANE, Juvenile Probation Officer with the Depart-                                                                
ment of Health & Social Services, spoke on behalf of the depart-                                                                
ment in support of SB 125.  He encouraged the committee to act                                                                  
favorably on the bill as a best-practices approach to school crisis                                                             
response planning.  He said he would welcome being a part of the                                                                
group that would assist schools in developing appropriate response                                                              
plans.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN MILLER asked the wish of the committee.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Number 433                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR ELTON moved SB 125 from committee with individual                                                                       
recommendations.  Hearing no objection, it was so ordered.