Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra is seeking nearly $21 million in funding to address school safety.
Ybarra announced the new three-pronged initiative, known as the Keep Idaho Students Safe initiative last week.
She’ll submit a supplemental budget request to the Legislature at the beginning of the 2019 session. If approved, funding would be available for the second part of the 2018-19 school year.
The initiative incorporates already-established efforts – like an anti-bullying campaign and a suicide-prevention measure – with new proposals including a safety course for teachers and administrators, security funding for schools and the creation of a statewide crisis communications counselor position.
The request includes about $1.99 million for a three-credit, 45-hour safety course for educators, an estimated $18.67 million for school security grants and $136,584 for the crisis communications counselor. The security grants would provide about $25,500 for funding and training of security, such as school resource officers, in all of the 732 student-occupied buildings in the state. The money could be used for other safety measures, like up-to-date communication devices, but Ybarra said the priority will be given to districts that do not have an established security presence.
The last part of the KISS initiative would include the creation of a crisis communication counselor position, which would be housed at the State Department of Education, with an estimated cost of $116,584 in salary and benefits, as well as $20,000 in operational funds. (Lewiston Tribune)
