Kentucky cuts effort to prevent school shootings and other hazards

CORRECTION: Central Elementary School was misnamed in the original version of this report.

Nineteen Kentucky schools won't get planned safety reviews this year that are partially designed to help prevent and prepare for emergencies such as last month's Marshall County High School mass shooting.

The inspections — including Central Elementary School in Marshall County — were canceled for this school year in October in response to Gov. Matt Bevin's order for widespread state budget cuts to stave off a $200 million shortfall.

The order resulted in a $95,700 cut for the Kentucky Center for School Safety, a state agency based in Richmond that does on-site assessments and recommends safety improvements. The center will still log 56 school reviews by the end of the school year, but that's the least since 2011.

Related: Meteorologists are raising the alarm: Budget could put Kentuckians in danger

More: After fatal shooting, Marshall County is using metal detectors on students

Senate Minority Leader Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, on Wednesday called delaying the reviews a "pretty big gamble to take."

Jones, who recently called for an armed guard in every public school, said the state should spend more to protect students in light of the recent school shooting.

"I'm afraid we're going to get through this legislative session and the (Marshall County shooting) will be relegated to history and nothing will take place to deal with situations like this in the future," Jones said. "It's not something you can just say, 'We're going to extend our condolences' and forget about it."

The center has completed more than 1,000 safety assessments since the early 2000s. School violence is only one of many issues the center tackles to help schools boost overall safety. The center fields experts who gauge how school officials enforce rules, protect doors from intruders, maintain buildings, communicate emergency plans and address air quality issues such as mold, among many other factors.

Helping schools address student mental health issues and stress is another emphasis.

School districts request the voluntary reviews, which are approved on a first-come-first-serve basis. The center usually receives more requests than it can do but has assessed an average of 70 schools per year in the last decade.

District leaders say the visits help them catch problems — everything from unsafe extension cords to vulnerability to natural disasters or attacks.

More: College students should be able to carry guns on campus, lawmaker says

Center for School Safety Director Jon Akers said he plans to reschedule all canceled visits for next school year if he has the money.

The center's financial support comes from a fund also used by school districts to pay specialized staff such as alternative education teachers, Akers said. Faced with postponing some safety inspections or laying off school staff, he and Department of Education staff chose the former.

Jay Wilson, the Warren County School District school safety director said he was disappointed when he learned South Warren Middle and High schools in Bowling Green wouldn't get safety checkups this year.

"You know it's always good to have someone from the outside look to make sure that we're doing everything we can to keep our kids safe," Wilson said.

Past reviews have prompted his district to install features that prevent vehicles from driving into schools and to repair handrails, among other changes, Wilson said.

In Laurel County, past assessments helped school officials craft a better system for communicating emergencies to parents, said Molly Barnett, spokeswoman for the school district.

Read this: Some Kentucky school districts may go broke before year ends

Jones said the reviews allow schools with poor finances access to consultants they otherwise couldn't afford.

"It may be the only option they have," he said.

But Terry Brooks, executive director of a nonprofit that campaigns for children's rights called Kentucky Youth Advocates, said school districts have plenty of other ways to assess safety. He said schools can make improvements by studying widely published best practices guides.

Without state assessments, districts might be pushed to innovate, he said.

"I don’t think the sky is falling. I think there are other ways to address this," he said. "It is not some state secret what makes schools safe."

Caitlin McGlade: 502-582-4144; cmcglade@gannett.com; Twitter: @caitmcglade. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/caitlinm.

Schools where state safety reviews were canceled:

Casey County School District: Liberty Elementary

Daviess County School District: Sorgho Elementary and Country Heights Elementary

Grant County School District: Grant County Middle School and Grant County High School

Laurel County School District: North Laurel Middle School and South Laurel Middle School

Logan County School District: Auburn Elementary and Logan County High School

Marshall County School District: Central Elementary

Martin County School District: Warfield Elementary

Morgan County School District: East Valley Elementary and Morgan County Middle School

Owensboro Independent School District: Cravens Elementary and Estes Elementary

Warren County School District: South Warren High School and South Warren Middle School

Whitley Count School District: Whitley County Middle School and Whitley County High School

Schools recently assessed, as of Jan. 30:

Nelson County School District: Old Kentucky Home Middle School and Nelson County High School

Madison County School District: Madison Central High School and Madison Southern High School

Clinton County School District: Clinton County Vocational Tech and Clinton County Middle School

Garrard County School District: Lancaster Elementary

Mercer County School District: Mercer Country Elementary

Allen County School District: Scottsville High School

Clark County School District: Clark Co. Pre-School and Robert D. Campbell Junior High School

Boyd County School District: Summit Elementary and Ramey-Estep High School

Christian County School District: Indian Hills Elementary and Hopkinsville High School

Boone County School District: Erpenbeck Elementary and Longbranch Elementary

Harlan County County School District: Wallins Elementary

Floyd County School District: J.D. Adams Middle School

Larue County School District: Abraham Lincoln Elementary and Hodgenville Elementary

Franklin County School District: Hearn Elementary

Lyon County School District: Lyon County Elementary and Lyon County High School

Pulaski County School District: Burnside Elementary and Eubank Elementary

Newport Independent School District: Newport Primary and Int. and Newport High School

Wolfe County School District: Wolfe County High School