Iowa lawmakers advance bill to require school safety plans. But some say it's not enough

Legislation to require that all Iowa schools establish security plans advanced in the Senate on Thursday, one day after 17 people were killed in a mass shooting at a Florida high school.

Senate File 2253 requires that Iowa school boards must develop security plans for individual school buildings no later than June 30, 2019.

An estimated 20 percent of Iowa schools don't have such procedures in place. Many are vetted by the likes of FEMA and Homeland Security, as well as local first-responders.

On Thursday some Iowa school leaders called for more political action, however, saying additional measures are needed to keep students and educators safe.

"Until politicians develop the courage to actually do something about the kind of gun violence that only seems to happen in our country, what we do will never be enough," Des Moines Superintendent Tom Ahart said.

Ahart called for doing "more to both protect the lives of our children and support the emotional, social and mental health of students."

"We have to do more than hurt for students, colleagues and families caught up in this repeated school violence that doesn’t plague peer nations around the world," he said.

► RELATED: What Ankeny, Des Moines, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines are telling parents about school safety.

None of Iowa's Republican legislative leaders raised the prospect Thursday of tightening Iowa's gun laws, however, which is an approach favored by some Democrats.

In fact, the GOP-controlled Legislature has been discussing several measures intended to expand gun rights.

House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake, said she's open to discussing related issues, such as mental health, in an effort to prevent mass shootings in Iowa's schools

Senate Majority Leader Chris Hagenow, R-Windsor Heights, said lawmakers would also explore how school funding could be used to make safety and security improvements.

"We want to have that conversation about how we can avoid school tragedies in Iowa," Hagenow said.

It's not just schools who need to be having discussions on the resources needs to address safety, said Willie Barney, who oversees safety for Waterloo Schools.

“Ultimately violence is a response to something,” Barney said. “The best way to decrease the likelihood of violence is to address the issues impacting the human condition that lead people to believe violence is their best option.”

School security

Metro-area schools told the Register on Thursday that safety is a top priority.

"Schools across the nation have quickly become aware of their need to increase security and provide training (and) preparedness to students and staff," Johnston spokeswoman Laura Sprague said.

Many schools keep their doors locked and have secure entryways; others have police officers on campus and practice safety procedures with students. Still others have undergone construction or added electronic safety features.

Schools are also taking steps to combat cultural challenges, such as the "Iowa Nice" mentality of letting visitors in without checking them into the main office, said Ankeny spokeswoman Samantha Kampman.

Many acknowledged the challenging task of keeping schools safe when they've become a target for those intent on doing harm.

"At the end of the day, a person who seeks to hurt others does not care about rules or consequences and unfortunately, we’ve seen their actions overrule tight security and safety plans," Sprague said.

Following Wednesday's shooting, some Iowa schools called on students, parents and staff to report any concerns or suspicious activity immediately. Others are reminding families that school counselors are available if children or teens need help in processing the tragedy.

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"I don’t know that there is an easy answer to say what things or resources are needed to ensure all kids and staff are 100 percent safe at school," Sprague said.

Many police departments work with local schools on safety and training drills that involve an active shooter or multiple shooters.

"No one is getting hurt, but it is as real as we can get it. The first time I did it, my heart was racing," said Sen. Tod Bowman, a Democrat who teaches at Maquoketa High School in eastern Iowa.

He described how on one occasion he hid in a corner, but was shot with a plastic pellet. Some students practiced jumping out of windows, he added.

Proposed legislation

The bill requiring school safety plans was introduced earlier this session, but the timing of its consideration and the tragedy that occurred Wednesday in Parkland, Florida, wasn't lost on Iowa lawmakers.

"This is a bad coincidence how this all went down the past couple of days," said Sen. Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, who is managing the bill.

The plan must include, but it is not limited to, scenarios for active shooters and natural disasters, such as tornadoes and floods.

School officials would be required to consider recommendations from the Iowa Department of Education related to school security planning and to consult with local law enforcement officials and the local emergency management coordinator.

Only 80 percent of Iowa schools have security plans in place, Bowman said.

It's "kind of depressing" that such planning is required, he said, but it's needed to address the world Iowans live in.

The legislation, which was approved on a voice vote, now heads to the Senate floor. It advanced Thursday to comply with a legislative procedural deadline.

It was amended to strike a provision that the plans be communicated to parents at least once a year because of concerns that such communications could help an active shooter who wants to harm students and school staff.