The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is devoted to making sure that all students in the state have access to secure and supportive learning environments. To this end, the VDOE monitors data on violence and criminal acts in schools to identify schools that need technical assistance to improve safety and create supportive environments. The Virginia Constitution guarantees children the right to attend public schools that are safe and peaceful. In order to guarantee the safety of students in Dulles, Virginia, the state has passed several school safety bills.
These bills are intended to create a culture of safety and well-being for all students in the state. Designated personnel are responsible for emergency management and for the effective implementation of safety and security policies, programs, directives, and training in their district or school. All public schools in Virginia are required by law to conduct an annual school safety audit to assess safety conditions. This audit emphasizes the importance of prevention, intervention, and support systems to ensure the safety and academic success of all students. The Virginia Center for School and University Safety (VCSCS) has been designated by enabling legislation (§ 9,1-18) to collect, analyze and disseminate various Virginia school safety data, including information on school safety audits. The CARE project is led by Learning Forward Tennessee in collaboration with TOSS, Navigate360, the Tennessee School Safety Center and Safe and Sound Schools.
This project provides free training on behavioral threat assessment (BTA) and suicide prevention to about 900 community school teams in Tennessee. In addition, schools are required to conduct at least one safety drill per month, properly notifying students, teachers and staff in advance. The Virginia Board of Education's state policy on students who attend a “persistently dangerous” school or who are victims of violent crime while in a public school or on its grounds is to provide those students with the opportunity to attend a safe school within the school division. House Bill 2903 introduces a three-year trial initiative that allows schools to hire school resource officers and purchase safety improvements. To help fund these comprehensive needs, there are state and federal grants available to assist school leaders in obtaining the physical, technological and personnel resources necessary for creating a safe environment on their campuses. By implementing these provisions, the law aims to create a safe and nurturing learning environment that equips schools with the resources necessary to effectively respond to emergencies, promote student resilience, and address the mental health needs of the school community.
