§ 6-15-1301 — Creation - Composition - Powers and duties

(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall create a Safe Schools Committee. (b) (1) The Safe Schools Committee shall be composed of the following individuals: (A) One (1) classroom teacher appointed by the Arkansas Education Association; (B) Two (2) school administrators appointed by the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators; (C) Two (2) school district board members appointed by the Arkansas School Boards Association; (D) A staff member of the division appointed by the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education; (E) A school safety specialist, employed by an Arkansas school district, appointed by the commissioner; (F) One (1) school counselor appointed by the Arkansas Counseling Association; (G) The Director of the Criminal Justice Institute and of the Arkansas Center for School Safety, or his or her designee; (H) One (1) classroom teacher appointed by the Arkansas State Teachers Association; (I) The Director of the Division of Emergency Management, or his or her designee; (J) The Executive Director of the Arkansas Public School Resource Center, Inc., or his or her designee; (K) A chief of police or a sheriff appointed by the commissioner; (L) The Executive Director of the Arkansas Rural Ed Association, or his or her designee; (M) The State Fire Marshal, or his or her designee; (N) One (1) school psychologist appointed by the Arkansas School Psychology Association; and (O) One (1) director of an Arkansas education service cooperative appointed by the commissioner. (2) The Chair of the House Committee on Education and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Education or their designees shall serve as ex officio members of the Safe Schools Committee. (c) The Safe Schools Committee is charged with the following responsibilities: (1) (A) To develop model policies and procedures that may ensure a safe and productive learning environment for students and school employees for recommendation to school districts. The procedures shall focus on ensuring the security of students and school employees and shall include techniques for prevention, intervention, and conflict resolution. (B) (i) The model policies and procedures shall include emergency plans for terrorist attacks, specifically including contingency plans for: (a) Attacks using: (1) Biological agents; and (2) Nerve gas or similar chemical agents; and (b) War. (ii) To the extent practicable, the model plans should include practice drills; (2) To recommend to the State Board of Education any necessary rules for ensuring a safe school environment; and (3) To recommend to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education any necessary legislation for ensuring a safe school environment.

Legislative History

Amended by Act 2019, No. 315,§ 213, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 809,§ 1, eff. 7/24/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 1218, eff. 7/1/2019. Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 1217, eff. 7/1/2019. Acts 1997, No. 1346, §§ 1-3; 2003, No. 648, § 1.