Revamping the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program 

On Thursday, October 15th, 1998, President Clinton hosted the first White House Conference on School Safety. During his address, the President announced several initiatives including a revamping of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program.  Details on the revamping of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program are listed from a White House Press Office release that day.

National School Safety and Security Services is pleased to see an emphasis on improving school security, training teachers and staff, and developing crisis preparedness as a part of the new Safe and Drug-Free Schools Program. While many schools have included these components in their Safe and Drug-Free programs in the past, it is important that the U.S. Department of Education clearly delineates these as necessary and encouraged components of their funding for programs by state agencies and local districts.

A segment of the White House announcement is cited below.  Also visit National School Safety and Security Services' Web pages on school security training, school security assessments, and crisis preparedness training for additional information on our related programs.

The following U.S. Newswire report on October 15, 1998, cites information from a White House Press Office release entitled, "White House Fact Sheet on Creating Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free Schools":

President Clinton will announce his plan for the overhaul of the nearly $600 million Safe and Drug-Free Schools program to provide more effective prevention programs for the reduction of drugs and violence in schools, more accountability for results, and better targeting to those schools that need the most assistance.

1.) Increasing funding for effective plans and strengthening accountability. Under the proposal, federal funds will provide support to school districts with demonstrated need and a commitment to adopt a rigorous, comprehensive approach to drug and violence reduction and prevention.

2.) Creating incentives to develop comprehensive and results-oriented plans. Districts will be expected to use relevant drug and violence data to develop a comprehensive plan -- in consultation with parents, teachers, students, law enforcement officials, mental heath providers and other members of the community -- to do the following:

Adopt and enforce, clear and fair discipline polices, such as zero tolerance polices for guns and drugs, school uniforms, and closed campus policies, and parent notification and involvement.

Secure schools and pathways through implementing measures such as metal detectors, and formal agreements with law enforcement or safety officials to patrol school grounds and pathways to school.

Provide effective anti-drug and violence prevention programs, including programs that teach responsible decision-making, mentoring, mediation, or other activities aimed at changing behaviors. Funded activities must demonstrate effectiveness in helping to create a drug-free and safe learning environment.

Collect data and report to the public results by providing annual report cards on the number and type of school-related drug and/or violence incidents.

Assess and intervene for troubled youth through procedures to identify students for evaluation and counseling; training for teachers and staff; and providing linkages between district officials, mental health, and other community professionals where appropriate.

Connect to after-school activities for youth to extend the school day and/or develop links to other after-school programming, and help provide children with meaningful connections to responsible adults in the community.

Develop plan for crisis management, such as a shooting on school grounds or drug overdoses. The plan will also address assistance for victims, contacts with parents, law enforcement, counseling, and communication with the media.