BELLEVUE, WI (WTAQ)- Law makers and law enforcement are working together to find ways to keep kids safe in school.
Just days after a school shooting at a high school in Florida, members of the State Assembly started working on three bills, one of which would provide funding for schools to have an armed guard present.
Republican Representative John Macco said the idea had bipartisan support.
“We were outraged when this happened, we were literally outraged, drafted the legislation immediately and put it on the floor.”
If the bill passes the Senate, schools would be able to apply for a grant to have an armed School Safety Officer. Macco says it does come with a high price tag of about $25 million dollars, but he and many others see it as worth the cost.
Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith said in Green Bay, this position would be different from their existing School Resource Officer that they have at schools. He says a School Safety Officer’s only job would be to protect the students and staff in the school.
“They will not be dealing with truancy, or chasing kids who are smoking,” Smith said. “They will only have one job the way see it, and that is to protect the people in school from someone coming in and causing harm. They will be responsible for checking the perimeter, checking that the doors are locked, and if someone gets in and something happens, they will be the one who is responsible.”
Smith says he feels Green Bay has many candidates who he feels fits the mold that he sees needed to get the job done.
“An officer who is recently retired, and has proven through decades of police work that they know how to handle themselves, and how to handle a firearm.”
Representative Macco said ultimately, each school district would decide what it best for their situation.
Macco says if passed, the money would be available for schools with students 5th grade through High School. He says the initial package would cover 75 percent of the cost the first year, 50 percent of the cost the second year, and 25 percent of the cost in the third year. He adds that the big takeaway is that the structure can evolve through time, but it will now be a focus for years to come.
“It is a new normal, and this is how we need to function.”
Chief Smith says the idea of finding ways to make schools more safe in Green Bay has already been a topic of discussion.
Green Bay School District will have two public roundtables to discuss school safety. The first is March 10 at 10:30 am at Green Bay Preble High School. The second is April 16 at 6:30 pm at Green Bay West High School.A
