SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – Parents would be allowed to pull their children out of school active shooter drills if a new bill becomes law.
State Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) pushed Senate Bill 3222 through the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday. It addresses concerns centered around the psychological effects these drills have on kids.
Schools are currently required to go through an active shooter drill within the first 90 days of a school year. Only school administrators have the power to exempt students from participating.
“While I support training for school staff and students, it’s critical that we take additional precautions for these drills, as fear of school shootings has intensified,” Bennett said. “These drills can sometimes be confusing for young students and psychologically distressing – if the circumstances permit, a parent should have the ability to opt their child out of a school shooter drill.”
The National Association of School Psychologists and National Association of School Resource Officers recommended steps for improving these drills, including the development of a communications plan giving everyone involved advance warning and allowing the ability to opt out and provide feedback.
Bennett mentioned that studies show moving resources toward identifying kids who could be at risk of becoming violent is vital to student safety. He wanted that issue to be in the conversation during committee discussions.
The bill moved to the full Senate after passing through the committee unanimously (15-0). Read the full text in the PDF document attached to this story.
