• Tweet
• Share
• Email
• Print

Public school security has become a hot-button issue in the country, and if a new bill passes, Idaho schools will have more detailed plans to deal with any threats.

But, before any added responsibility is given to school district, the Idaho School Boards Asociation wants to see extra funding.

"Right now, there is no funding available for that,” says Karen Echeverria with the Association. “It's just one of the things that school districts do. So, if we're going to have a greater responsibility placed on the school district, then we'll need to have some funding follow that legislation"

But, the man behind the bill says schools can work with local police and safety experts to create a plan that doesn't necessarily put extra strain on the budget.

"We have locked doors, but are we locking them? That doesn't cost anything to understand if we need to lock a door or maybe a window," says Meridian Senator Marv Hagedorn.

And when those plans are created, Sen. Hagedorn says he wants them to be kept secret.

"We don't want to have all of the security plans for all of Idaho's schools available for somebody just to go, 'I think I'll go to this school and do some nefarious activities’."

Senator Hagedorn says he wants plans in place so future national scares like Sandy Hook Elementary won't make local districts question their own security.