Bill Wants Taskforce to Take a Tougher Look at School Security

School security in New Jersey is one of those issues that is typically left to local communities.

Even after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in December, a taskforce charged by Gov. Chris Christie to look into gun safety suggested that districts may want a police presence in their schools -- but it would be up to them to decide.

Now, a new bill that passed unanimously in both chambers of the Legislature last week creates yet-another taskforce to look at school safety. The eight-member committee will focus on specific architectural and technological measures, exploring a host of mandates and programs for current schools and new ones.

Again, it should prove a test of how far the state can go.

Among the issues to be explored: new requirements for panic buttons and retina-scanning security, to reviews of the state’s existing mandates for monthly lockdowns, training, and other safeguards. It adds a new area of concern: prevention of cyberattacks.

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