Gov creates task force, requests funds for school safety
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Accusations that a former student plotted to shoot up a Vermont high school have led to Republican Gov. Phil Scott's creation of a task force to examine ways to prevent community violence and request $4 million to help make schools safer.
Public Safety Commissioner Tom Anderson said Thursday that another $1 million in Homeland Security funds will also be available.
A recent statewide assessment of 422 Vermont schools found that 96 percent of schools participate in required safety drills. But it also found that 70 percent do not have the ability to lock all doors from the inside; and half do not have a public address system that can alert people outside the building.