School Safety

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is conducting an internal review of student discipline policies after state education officials accused the district of "laundering" its data on school safety.

The shooting last May that killed 19 children and two teachers inside an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, led to pledges by governors in several states to make classrooms safer. Here is a look at where school safety plans stand in several states as students nationwide return to school.

Since Alyssa Alhadeff was murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, her family has advocated for improving school safety. Now, New York has adopted Alyssa's Law, which pushes schools to install silent panic button systems for students and teachers to alert law enforcement about an emergency.

In the wake of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, student activists launched an unprecedented national movement to end gun violence. Four years and dozens of mass shootings later, survivors in Parkland marched again — furious at the inaction of lawmakers.

The agreement, which has the support of at least 10 Republican senators, is narrowly focused at preventing future shootings similar to the one in Uvalde, Texas.

Two weeks after a deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, reignited debates about gun violence and securing schools, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that will require mental-health “crisis intervention” training for on-campus officers.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday formally received nine bills from the Legislature, including a school-safety bill that would direct the State Board of Education to develop rules for school emergency drills.

Broward County schools hired hundreds of new safety officers and counselors after voters approved a property tax increase in 2018. District officials say those jobs are at risk if voters don't renew the referendum this August.

Under the $1 million contract, 20 sheriff's deputies will serve as safety officers in Palm Beach County schools. The deal comes as some are pushing for the district's force to merge with the county.

A state audit of Broward County Public Schools has found the district has failed to comply with some safety protocols required by state law. The report released this week shows security is still a challenge in the district.

Students in Broward County Public Schools should expect to be randomly searched. The district has started using metal detectors to screen for weapons in the classroom.

Alberto Carvalho is negotiating a new contract to become the superintendent of schools in Los Angeles, ending a 13-year tenure heading up Miami-Dade schools. And school police have been busy this week, tracking down school violence threats on social media.