ARK SCHOOL SAFETY REPORT - After nine months of work, the Arkansas School Safety Commission released its final report Monday with recommendations on how schools could best avoid mass shootings. The panel was created by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in March as a response to a school shooting in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed. The report has 30 recommendations including that each school have an armed presence. During a press conference at the state Capitol, Hutchinson said the he felt such a recommendation should be a local option.
"I do not believe that should be mandated. That is a recommendation," explained Hutchinson. "The final decision should be made by the local school district and local school leadership."
Hutchinson also said that 70% of Akransas schools have a School Resource Officer or some form of commissioned security and that the Department of Education can review the School Safety Commission’s recommendations to see whether there are any security gaps to address in the future."
