NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Department of Homeland Security has received more than 540 tips since the SafeTN application first launched in 2019. Now, Governor Bill Lee wants a homeland security agent in every school district to help investigate those tips.
"Our review of [a West Tennessee case] showed that the SafeTN app works, as long as a homeland security agent is available to take the case," Lee said during his state of the state address. "These agents specialize in preventing acts of violence and terrorism and we should enhance their role in our strategy."
Homeland Security Director Greg Mays said the best people to investigate school threats are local.
"It takes someone being there, being involved to really get at capability and intent," he said. "If there is capability and intent, if there is a threat, then we work on ways to mitigate that."
He said their agents would help sift through the reports and help districts prepare for worst-case scenarios.
"Our agents are specifically trained in threat assessment and those threat assessment investigations," he said. "If, God forbid, we did have an incident, we have to respond the right way and that just takes coordination."
Mays said the assigned homeland security agents aren't meant to replace school resource officers.
"The SROs are a key part of the whole equation here," he said. "Just as mental health professionals, the school-based behavioral health liaisons, the courts, the guidance counselors, the schools themselves, the teachers, the administrators — all of us have to work together to keep our schools safe."
An amendment to HB 0322 would require every school district to create a "comprehensive district-wide school safety plan and building-level school safety plans regarding crisis intervention, emergency response, and emergency management."
It'd also require annual drills for armed intruders, incident commands and bus emergencies, as well as impose penalties for districts that repeatedly leave school doors unlocked.
"The State Fire Marshal's Office has inspected over 1,000 of the roughly 1,800 schools in Tennessee K-12 in the 2022-2023 cycle so far," said Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis). "As of January 2023, 172 of those 1,000+ schools were found to have unlocked exterior doors totaling roughly 17%."
The Tennessee Department of Education could withhold up to 10% of the annual state funds generated by the school in the TISA for repeat violations.
"I like most of this bill. I really do. And I know it's this is one of these touchy kinds of things, but there's a human nature element to this," Rep. Sam McKenzie (D-Knoxville) said. "I just want to make sure that we're fully understanding this could be detrimental to LEAs and schools based on half a percent of students' behavior."