Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey created a council to study school safety and said it should consider all ideas on their merits, including arming school personnel, an idea Ivey previously had expressed skepticism about.

Ivey said she wanted the ideas on a fast track, asking for a report by April 30. She outlined what she called a four-pronged approach - securing schools, engagement and intervention with students who are identified as posing risks of violence, updating and standardizing emergency operation plans and formation of the council.

The governor endorsed one specific proposal, a Senate bill that would allow school systems to use money from an advancement and technology fund for security.

Local systems could use the money to hire school resource officers or for surveillance cameras, metal detectors of whatever they thought best fit their schools' needs, the governor said.

Interim State Superintendent Ed Richardson also supported that idea. Richardson said there is about $41 million available in the advancement and technology fund.

"We have many isolated, poorly funded school systems that do not have the resources to be able to afford security measures," Richardson said.

Richardson, who spoke at a press conference with the governor, said Ivey's framework was a good approach to a complex problem.

"There's not one plan that will fit everyone," Richardson said. "This could happen as easily in one of our rural school systems as well as in urban."

Watch as Gov. Ivey unveils the framework for her school safety initiative. Posted by al.com on Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Ivey's announcement comes almost three weeks after the mass shooting that claimed 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Ivey says all ideas should be considered, including arming school personnel. — Mike Cason (@MikeCasonAL) March 6, 2018

Ivey announcing four-prong approach: Smart on Safety Initiative. — Mike Cason (@MikeCasonAL) March 6, 2018

The tragedy has sparked an examination of school security in Alabama and other states. Alabama lawmakers have proposed training and arming some teachers, volunteer security teams supervised by sheriffs, raising the minimum age to buy some semiautomatic rifles and other ideas to improve school safety.

None of the Alabama legislation has moved close to becoming law.

Ivey signed an executive order today creating the Securing Alabama Facilities of Education (SAFE) Council. It will include the top state officials in law enforcement, education, mental health and information technology.

Ivey requested a report from the group by April 30.

"From arming school personnel, utilizing security teams or controlled access to buildings, all ideas should be considered," Ivey said.

Ivey, a one-time teacher, had previously declined to endorse the idea of arming some teachers.

Asked about that today, she said she would wait on recommendations from the council before taking a position.

The governor was also asked whether she would support new firearms restrictions, which some legislators have proposed.

She did not give a definitive answer but expressed doubt about whether that would be effective.

"Our research shows us that just by forbidding a special type gun from being sold is not going to fix the problem because they can use dynamite or anything," Ivey said. "Those particular kind of specific proposals will be brought to the SAFE Council and they will make a recommendation on it."

Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Montrose, introduced the bill to allow use of the advancement and technology fund for school security. The fund was set up to receive a portion of education revenues when the revenues exceed the annual spending cap. The Legislature specifies how the money can be used. Pittman's bill would add security measures to the allowed uses.

Federal civil rights data showed that during the 2013-2014 school year, 33 Alabama school districts did not have any law enforcement officers in any of their schools.

Thirty-nine districts had a sworn officer assigned to every school, while 61 districts had an officer in one or more but not all of their schools.

Ivey called one part of her plan, "we know our kids."

Schools will be required to develop a plan for identifying students who are potentially violent. That would involve collaboration with law enforcement and mental health professionals, the governor said.

"Parents, teachers and administrators know our students better than anyone else, and they're in the best position to identify potential problems and to address those," Ivey said. "If you see something, say something."

Ivey asked the Department of Education to standardize emergency operations plans and to require schools to train students and staff in emergency response.

"How a school responds to a crisis situation shouldn't just be in writing," Ivey said. "It should become part of the school's regular, routine operations."

Richardson echoed the need for upgrading emergency operations plans and the need for regular drills to expose gaps in those plans.

AL.com's Trisha Powell Crain contributed to this report.