LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — On June 10, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that he has issued an executive order to reinstate the Arkansas School Safety Commission.
The recent violence in Texas was a stark reminder that the work of securing our schools is never done. That is why I am calling the Arkansas School Safety Commission back into service. Members of the commission, which I created in 2018, submitted thirty significant recommendations in their original 124-page report. School districts around the state have implemented many of the recommendations. But it is crucial that we constantly assess the security of our schools and keep abreast of the best ways to ensure our children and educators are safe. The original commission built a solid foundation on which to continue this vital work.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson
According to a press release, members of the commission will “update the analysis of the safety of K-12 schools throughout the state taking into consideration the physical and mental health of students.” The Commission will also identify any new recommendations of best practices in school safety that have developed since 2018.
The School Safety Commission’s first meeting will be on Tuesday, June 14, at the state capitol, and the initial report is due to Governor Hutchinson on August 1. The commission will include a representative from the Arkansas Attorney General’s office, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM), the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA).
The commission also will include the director of the CJI, a county sheriff, a public school superintendent, a public school teacher, a public school counselor and a former federal law enforcement officer. Northwest Arkansas and River Valley members of the committee include Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder, Fort Smith Public Schools Chief of Police Bill Hollenbeck and Rogers Fire Department Chief Tom Jenkins.
