School Safety Reforms Central to President Obama's Gun Control Proposal

President Barack Obama presented a sweeping set of gun control recommendations last week, with many focused directly on increasing safety measures in schools.

According to the Politics K-12 blog, the proposals signal a shift in federal priorities—the proposals ask for increases in school safety and mental health counseling funding, areas the administration has tried to cut in the budget in recent years.

Check out the Politics K-12 post for a more in-depth look at the proposals, which includes creating model emergency response plans for institutions like schools and providing $50 million for training for professionals like social workers and counselors who plan to work with young adults.

The full text of the plan can also be found on the White House website.

The local school safety conversation

In the month since the , this issue has been at the forefront of conversations across the country, including Northeast Ohio. School districts from North Canton to Lakewood to Mentor have taken the issue on, opting to strengthen their ID policy for visitors and looking for ways to identify students who need extra support.

Westlake City Schools officials talked to Patch in December about the district’s security measures. The district has an anonymous safety hotline for parents and students to report threats or other issues, multiple security cameras and a plan that is reviewed regularly. 

The new high school and middle school will have more secure entrances and school resource officers in the buildings, officials told Patch in December.