2021 - 2022 Kentucky School Risk Assessment Annual Report
Since the creation of the Office of the State School Security Marshal (OSSSM) four years ago, there have been many accomplishments and, notably, a distinct improvement in school safety across the state. The purpose of OSSSM’s work is to support schools in creating the safest learning environment possible for children and staff to thrive. OSSSM accomplishes this through its core mission of completing onsite risk assessments on every locally controlled school in the commonwealth. This August, the office will start its fourth risk assessment.
OSSSM will soon release its second annual required report highlighting the school safety risk assessments completed during the 2021-2022 school year. The report will demonstrate the state’s high compliance rate across school districts and the high level of commitment from public schools towards the implementation of safety mandates set forth. These mandates are intended to ensure Kentucky’s schoolchildren are both physically and mentally safe.
OSSSM makes several recommendations to Kentucky schools for the 2022-2023 school year based on its findings in the annual report. These include:
Continuing work toward 100% compliance with the School Safety and Resiliency Act;
Continuing to work toward the goal of one Mental Health Professional for every 250 students, as funds and personnel become available;
Fostering a school climate where students and staff understand the importance of controlling access to exterior doors, as well as closing and locking classroom doors during instructional time;
Working toward training all front office staff to properly use security features such as the electronically locking door, cameras, and intercom systems. Staff should also be trained on the proper way to check-in a visitor, ensure proper ID is shown, and learn the reason for the visit; and
Continuing work toward assigning a full-time and certified School Resource Officer (SRO) to every campus where one or more school buildings are used to deliver instruction to students on a continual basis.
Since taking office at the end of 2019, Gov. Andy Beshear has consistently demonstrated his commitment to the safety of Kentucky’s children while on campus and in the classroom. OSSSM was created in the wake of the tragic shooting at Marshall County High School in early 2018 in Benton, Kentucky and amid rising concerns about the safety and security of students in the commonwealth.
Following the recent devastating shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Kentucky parents and school officials alike have found their concerns about school safety renewed. OSSSM and the Beshear-Coleman administration remain as committed as ever to addressing these concerns through proactive and preventive measures.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed House Bill 63 into law in April 2022, which introduces new SRO requirements for school districts. The new law requires that each campus has an SRO by Aug. 1, 2022, if possible. The law further provides that, “if sufficient funds and qualified personnel are not available for this purpose for every campus, the local board of education shall fulfill the requirements of this subsection on a per-campus basis, as approved in writing by the state school security marshal, until a certified school resource officer is assigned to and working on-site, full-time on each campus in the district.”
The Department of Criminal Justice Training provides SROs with 120 hours of specialized training, in addition to basic law enforcement response for working in schools. These include mental health awareness classes, skills for working with students with special needs, cultural diversity and active shooter response.
"The number of tragedies prevented by an officer’s presence and positive relationships built within schools cannot be quantified,” said State School Security Marshal Ben Wilcox. “SROs provide a triad approach to school safety – they are an integral part of a collaborative school safety plan that includes mental health providers, access control and relationships with first responders."
All 173 Kentucky school districts were required to submit their safety plan to the OSSSM for review in August 2022. At this time, OSSSM is able to report that more than 50% of Kentucky schools are equipped with an SRO as defined by HB 63. Since Gov. Beshear signed HB 63 into law, this represents a 21% increase in SROs who have been assigned to protect Kentucky schools, ensuring children and staff have a safe learning environment.
HB 63 also grants the ability for a school to create a police department. The ability to start a school police department provides a more jurisdictional definition to school police officers while allowing the school police department to apply for grants to assist in hiring SROs.
This approach gives school districts three choices for placing SROs on each campus:
Collaborate with local law enforcement agencies to assign an officer to each campus;
Hire and commission a Police Officer Professional Standards (POPS) certified officer to become a Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO); or
Start a school-based police agency with board approval.
OSSSM’s compliance officers are always available to train school staff on the risk assessment process, school safety and security initiatives, and current trends in school safety. OSSSM will continue to work with every school district in Kentucky to assist with compliance and make adjustments as funding and personnel become available per statute.
If school districts have questions regarding HB 63 or compliance with the School Safety and Resiliency Act of 2019, please contact OSSSM at 859-622-6153.
NOTE: It is against state law (KRS:158.4410(7)) for the Office of the State School Security Marshal to release information that would publicly expose vulnerabilities within a school and create risk of attack by those who wish our schools harm. If parents have questions regarding the safety of their schools, they are encouraged to reach out directly to their local district administrators.
