WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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The Indiana legislature approved a bill over school safety yesterday.
Three amendments by the House of Representatives to Senate Bill 303 were added to the legislation, after the February 14th mass shooting which left 17 death in Parkland, Florida.
The Indiana House of Representatives voted unanimously to include amendments meant to increase student safety in the event of a school shooting, to Senate Bill 303.
One of the amendments would allow a school employee to barricade or block a door for up to three minutes, in the event of an unexpected fire alarm, in order to investigate the cause of the alarm. Current Indiana law requires students to leave their classrooms if a fire alarm goes off. The Parkland shooter reportedly pulled a fire alarm to lure students out of class before opening fire on them. Faculty would be allowed to continue barricading doorways in an active shooter situation.
Senate Bill 303 also requires school safety panels across the state to conduct an audit of their schools’ safety plans by August of 2019. School boards would also be required to provide an onsite safety review for each school in their corporation.
The Monroe County Community School Corporation held a public safety forum on Monday night, discussing the Parkland mass shooting. According to the Indiana Daily Student an audience member asked about the use of so-called ‘door blockers,’ which are used to block access to doors. Superintendent Judi DeMuth reportedly says MCCSC decided against the use of door blockers, because they may possibly rescuers or first responders from accessing classrooms.
