Raleigh — U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-Lillington), the only N.C. member of the Homeland Security Committee, today introduced legislation that would provide schools with additional federal support for their security needs.
Etheridge announced the new legislation in March and met with educators across North Carolina’s Second Congressional District to discuss it.
“On September 11, 2001, schools were not the target of the terrorist attack, but 8,000 students and school employees were evacuated in the immediate vicinity of the attack. This tragic event demonstrates how critical it is that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security incorporates our schools into its emergency preparedness efforts,” said Etheridge.
The Schools Empowered to Respond Act would provide increased federal guidance and access to resources to schools in developing and implementing their emergency response and preparedness plans. It would create a one-stop shop within the Department of Homeland Security to coordinate the department’s school security efforts and provide best practices for schools. The bill would give schools more access to federal funds and provide educators with an increased voice in state and local grant decisions. It does not create any new requirements or mandates for schools, but instead seeks to provide schools with more support for their security measures.
As the former Superintendent of North Carolina’s schools, Etheridge has made school security his top priority on the Homeland Security Committee. Etheridge crafted the legislation in response to a survey he conducted with the Homeland Security Committee of principals and superintendents in North Carolina’s Second Congressional District that found that although schools have emergency plans, they would like more assistance and direction from the federal government. The survey was followed by a nationwide Government Accountability Office study requested by Etheridge that reached similar conclusions. The full reports can be found here and here.
The legislation has the support of House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson. It is endorsed by the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of School Resource Officers, the National School Boards Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals.