Better Mental Health Access Key To Making Schools Safer: PA Study

A report commissioned by Gov. Wolf in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy in Parkland, Florida sought to answer a simple question: how can Pennsylvania schools be made safer? And most crucially, how can officials make sure that something like this never happens here?

The findings of the Pennsylvania School Safety Task Force, released by state officials on Monday, zeroed in on several overarching themes, including "social and emotional learning," increased access to mental health services in schools, and integrating school security with local law enforcement.

The recommendations ring particularly true after the Parkland tragedy, which left 17 dead at the hands of Nikolas Jacob Cruz, a former student at the school who had been expelled due to troubles the year before. The school's resource officer also came under fire for not entering the building during the shooting.

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Gov. Wolf said he was impressed by the "frank and honest discussions" contained in the report, which included interviews with students, teachers, school officials, and law enforcement.

"Six times, in six vastly different schools, young men and women stood before us and described their feelings of helplessness and anxiety that they want more and better mental health services," Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said in a statement. "Now, it is our job to heed those concerns and to do everything in our power to create safer spaces for learning."

Other key recommendations contained in the report were improving inter-community connections, integrating school security with local law enforcement, providing schools with guidance on establishing security priorities, and providing schools with more resources in general.

Gov. Wolf's 2018-19 budget has earmarked $60 million for the newly minted School Safety and Security Committee, a part of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The 17-person committee will work to help districts implement specific measures to make them as safe as possible, Gov. Wolf's office said.

You can read the full School Safety Task Force Report here.

Image via Gov. Wolf's Office