Letter to the Editor - Hoffman: Make South Dakota schools safer

School safety isn’t one of the more popular topics of discussion in the storied hallways of the state capital. It’s an uncomfortable problem that lacks obvious, cookie-cutter solutions, and nobody wants to talk about school shootings. But if we’re to make our schools safer, we must think about the unthinkable.

Since the year 2000, there have been nearly 500 documented school shootings in America. These shootings have become ever more common, ranging from isolated incidents to horrific mass murders, such as the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, Conn., where a lone gunman took the lives of 20 first-graders before ending his own. These incidents occur in big cities and small towns, elementary schools, middle schools and high schools, and in so-called red states and blue states.

Unfortunately, there has not been a strong, nationwide effort to prevent or respond to the next one. A study by the American Legislative Exchange Council revealed “fewer than one-third of states have given any direction to local schools regarding solutions for securing their facilities that are based on experience, proven technology or best practices.” While states that have experienced mass shootings have implemented stronger school safety laws, the majority of states remain unprepared for this very real threat.

Here in glorious, freedom-loving South Dakota, it’s tempting to think something like a school shooting can’t or won’t happen here. That is wrong thinking. While our state hasn’t experienced a mass shooting (there have been seven school shootings in our history), it’s impossible to predict the location, source, motivations or tactics of the next incident. We can and should pray for our children’s safety, but we must also prepare for their safety.

As it stands, our school districts vary widely in resources, capabilities, facilities and training. Many have proactively upgraded facilities and procedures, but only about 35 percent of schools have full control of access points, a panic button, an emergency operations plan and the means to implement it. Less than 25 percent of our schools have a school resource officer or sentinel readily available to respond to a violent threat. We can do better. We must do better.

Since this past summer, a small team of educators, legislators and law enforcement have been working on a proposal to improve school safety. Our draft bill incorporates best practices such as facility requirements and a security grant and stipend program. We’re confident this proposal can dramatically improve our school safety posture, but it will not be easy or convenient. There will be opposition. It will cost money.

Within the next few weeks, we hope to fine-tune and release the draft language for this bill, titled “An Act to establish and modify provisions related to school safety.” We humbly ask for your support or your suggestions to improve it. For our schools. For our kids.

The author served a career in the military, surviving the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. He’s a published author, occasional newspaper columnist and currently serves as a state senator for District 9 in glorious South Dakota.

Sen. Brent “B.R.” Hoffman

District 9, Sioux Falls