Bill would provide increased protection for students in Pennsylvania schools

PITTSBURGH — In 2023, school shootings outpaced a record high from the year before. School safety isn’t just a conversation happening on the local level, but statewide.

“When you are dealing with school emergencies every second counts. Anytime you can minimize response time for law enforcement you are saving lives,” Woodland Hills Superintendent Dr. Daniel Castagna said.

That’s exactly what a law already implemented in five other states aims to do. The family of a student who died in the 2018 Parkland shooting is working to get silent panic alarms in every public school across the country. In her honor, it’s named Alyssa’s Law.

“Jaden shared with me she wasn’t sure if this would have prevented her cousin from losing her life but she and her family and make our schools safe believe that it’s one step that we can take that would potentially save lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglass,” Erin Serre said. Serre is the Policy Director for Sen. Art Haywood’s Office.

Now two senators, on both sides of the aisle are proposing the legislation in Pennsylvania. While the panic alarms are modeled after banks, there are a lot of questions on how it works in the schools as no district is the same.

“Who is going to push the panic button and are they equipped to do so? That’s always one. Who is going to pay for these devices and maintaining them to ensure they work and work if there ever is a crisis?” Beaver Area Superintendent Dr. Mark Holtzman questioned.

Channel 11 took those questions to Senator Art Haywood’s policy director for answers.

“We don’t have a funding mechanism included, we are hoping once the bill reaches the appropriations committee that would be worked out in committee in collaboration with the Department of Education,” Serre said.

As for who’s responsible for pushing the button, lawmakers plan to have conversations with other states who have implemented the same law on what worked best for them. But Castagna hopes local schools are included in those talks too.

“Then you have educators’ perspective on how it will look inside the building. I think far too often laws are passed and we hear about them later and we have to live with them and then plead our case back to the legislators to try to get things amended so I hope they front load those conversations,” Castagna said.

At this point, the senators are currently looking for more co-sponsors then they will work to draft the bill to hopefully introduce it to the full Senate before this summer.

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