In response to the Apalachee High School shooting, Georgia lawmakers may push for better sharing of student information to prevent future violence
Barrow County: After the tragic shooting at Apalachee High School, folks are really questioning how things went so wrong. Four people lost their lives, and many believe there were clear warning signs from the 14-year-old suspect.
This has put a lot of pressure on Georgia lawmakers as they gear up for their annual session. They’re feeling the heat to do something about school safety and might push for better sharing of student records among agencies.
The idea is that if schools, child welfare, and juvenile courts share information, they can spot potential threats before they escalate. Some key figures, like House Speaker Jon Burns and state schools Superintendent Richard Woods, are on board with this plan.
Woods raised a good point at a recent forum, asking how they can create a system to flag students who might be a risk. But not everyone is on the same page. Privacy advocates are worried that this could lead to invasive practices and that it’s tough to predict who might act out based on records alone.
Amelia Vance, a privacy expert, emphasized that prevention should focus on actual behaviors, like making threats or trying to get weapons. She warned that trying to profile students could lead to a lot of false alarms, especially for those with disabilities or who have had run-ins with social services.
Besides sharing information, there are calls for more funding for school police, counselors, and mental health services. While Georgia Democrats want to limit kids’ access to guns, Republicans are standing firm on gun rights.
Colt Gray, the shooter, had a history that raised eyebrows. He had previous encounters with law enforcement and even skipped a whole school year. Just days before the shooting, he had a panic attack in a counselor’s office.
There were attempts to get him into psychiatric care, but it seems family issues got in the way. Sheriff Jud Smith believes that better communication between police and schools is crucial to prevent future tragedies.
Georgia might look to other states like Florida and Texas for ideas on how to improve their systems. However, past efforts, like Florida’s database, didn’t work out as planned because access to information was limited.
One easy fix could be speeding up how quickly schools share student records when kids transfer. Right now, it takes 30 days, which is way too long in today’s digital world.
On the flip side, Georgia is already training schools on how to assess threats properly. They’re teaching staff to recognize real threats and also to understand when a student just needs help.
Investing in more counselors and mental health workers could make a big difference. Currently, Georgia has a high student-to-counselor ratio, which isn’t ideal. The American School Counselor Association suggests one counselor for every 250 students, but Georgia’s ratio is closer to 378.
There’s also a program called Apex that helps fund mental health services, but it’s only available to about a third of schools right now. Kasey Ross, a youth services director, believes having a licensed counselor in every school would be a game-changer.
However, even with more funding, there’s a shortage of qualified counselors, which could slow down progress. The state budget has allocated over $100 million for school security, but many feel that’s not enough to cover the costs of hiring security officers for every school.
