§ 16-21-23. School safety teams, school crisis response teams, and school safety assessments.
(a) Each school district of each town, city, and regional school department shall conduct
a school safety assessment in conjunction with local police, fire, school safety team
pursuant to the provisions of this section and any other expert said school department
deems necessary. The assessment shall examine the current status of each school building's
safety and shall be performed within thirty (30) days of passage of this act, and
every three (3) years thereafter.
(1) There shall be a Rhode Island school safety committee whose functions shall include,
but not be limited to, providing training to law enforcement, school administrators,
and teachers; collecting and reviewing all hazard safety security assessments; and
offering recommendations and assistance to each school district of every town, city,
and regional school department, in an effort to increase the safety of students and
faculty. The committee shall be comprised of twelve (12) members as follows: the superintendent
of the Rhode Island state police or designee, who shall serve as chairperson of the
committee; the president of the Police Chiefs' Association, or designee; the director
of the Rhode Island emergency management agency, or designee; the commissioner of
the department of elementary and secondary education, or designee; a representative
from the Rhode Island School Superintendents' Association, to be selected by the association;
the director of the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities
and hospitals, or designee; the state fire marshal, or designee; a representative
of the Rhode Island Association of School Maintenance Directors, to be selected by
the association; a representative from the Rhode Island Association of School Principals,
to be selected by the association; a representative from the Rhode Island Association
of School Committees, to be selected by the association; a representative from the
National Education Association of Rhode Island ("NEARI�), who shall be a full-time
classroom teacher, to be selected by the president of NEARI; and one representative
from the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals ("RIFTHP�),
who shall be a full-time classroom teacher, to be selected by the president of the
RIFTHP.
(2) Each school department of each town, city, and regional school district shall complete
the emergency action plan and shall submit the all hazards site safety survey report
to the Rhode Island school safety committee every three (3) years for the committee's
review and recommendation.
(3) The assessment shall be completed by November 1 of the year mandated, and by December
31 of that year, the commissioner of elementary and secondary education shall report
to the speaker of the house, the senate president, and the governor that the assessments
have been completed. Assessments performed within a year of the date of passage of
this act shall satisfy this requirement.
(4) All meetings regarding the school safety assessment are not subject to the open meetings
law pursuant to chapter 46 of title 42, and documents produced including, but not limited to, meeting minutes and the school
safety assessment are not subject to the access to public records law pursuant to
chapter 2 of title 38.
(b) The school committee of each town, city, and regional school department shall review
and adopt in executive session a comprehensive school safety plan regarding crisis
intervention, emergency response, and management. The plan shall be developed by a
school safety team comprised of representatives of the school committee; representatives
of student, teacher, and parent organizations; school safety personnel; school administration;
and members of local law enforcement, fire, and emergency personnel. Members of the
school safety team shall be appointed by the school committee and/or school superintendent
of the town, city, or regional school district. In creating the school safety plan,
the school safety team(s) shall consult the model school safety plan developed by
the department of elementary and secondary education pursuant to § 16-21-23.1.
(c) The school crisis response team shall be comprised of those selected school personnel
willing to serve as members of a psychological response team to address the psychological
and emotional needs of the school community, and may seek mental health resources
from the department of elementary and secondary education. Members of the school crisis
response team may coordinate mental health services for those students and school
employees affected by acts of violence in the schools, using resources available through
the department of elementary and secondary education.