Nearly 10 years after the Newtown massacre shocked the country, Connecticut’s school safety programs are among the best in the nation, but more funding to tackle student mental-health issues and the hardening of school campuses to prevent armed intruders are needed at a time of limited financial resources.
That was the message on Friday that school superintendents gave to U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who told them that negotiations in Washington seem closer to a bipartisan deal – possibly this weekend – on a so-called red-flag law to remove firearms from people who might harm themselves or others.
During a 45-minute-long virtual round table meeting with educators and a representative from the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, school administrators said that it’s tough to find residential treatment programs for troubled children, because health insurance falls short in coverage and many parents cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket.
“My understanding from some of the psychiatrists that we have worked with in our district is they don’t accept insurance because insurance reimburses them at a ridiculously low rate,” said Maureen Brummett, school superintendent for Newington.
“We are approved for five school-based health centers in our district,” said Christine Carver, Bethel’s school superintendent. “Only two of those five can we get workers to work in. We have the funding. We have the mechanism to have it, but we don’t have the mental health personnel to do that. When we go to outside agencies to really get support above and beyond what we can provide in schools, there is just no access.”
Carver gave the recent example of a four-year-old in crisis who stayed five days in a hospital emergency room because there were no residential treatment beds available. “If we would figure that out, I think we’d make tremendous progress in terms of solving long-term outcomes,” she said, describing the Bethel police as “fabulous” in making daily wellness visits to school campuses.
In terms of physical security, Carver said that two recent school renovations in her district included major hardening improvements such as camera systems, lock-down alarm buttons, ballistic-resistant vestibules and upgraded locks. But after conferring with fellow school administrators this week, it is plain that many other districts have been unable to attain similar grant awards.
“I get it: there’s only a limited funding source,” Carver said. “So I think that’s something that would be helpful. Is there a way to expand that pot of money, so that all districts can have access to it?”
Matthew J. Conway Jr., superintendent of Derby’s school system, agreed that money is the key to mental health program and security upgrades. With the next round of funding a year away, opportunities remain for intruders to breach school perimeters, he warned.
Conway said it would be helpful for state security experts to provide priority checklists for cities and towns to consider as they plan new projects. The key is to repel or delay intruders. “If we can prevent that entry, without, as you say, building the fortress around it, we will save lives,” Conway said. “Cameras are great inside a school. Cameras are going to show you what happened after somebody breached the perimeter.”
Brenda Bergeron, deputy commissioner in the state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said the federal Stop School Violence Act of 2018, which provided training grants through the Sandy Hook Promise foundation for children and adults, has helped.
In addition the state laws passed after the Sandy Hook shootings included funding for hardening schools and improving communications, she said, stressing that the state is in the fifth round of the program, including $71 million in new grants. More recently, the General Assembly this year approved a major children’s mental health initiative, including a new 988 phone number for people in crisis, and reporting hate crimes.
Blumenthal said it’s plain that the need for mental health investments is part of school safety. “I think it’s an area where the federal government can really play an impactful role,” he said, stressing that Connecticut was the first in the nation among the 19 states that have red-flag laws, also known as emergency risk-protection warrants, which can lead to court-ordered removal of firearms from people who threatened themselves or others . “Again, more resources are key,” he said.
Blumenthal said that bipartisan Senate negotiations over gun safety “are intense and very, very significant,” but the key is to get a bill that can get the support of 60 senators. “We need to seize this moment. Never before have this many Republicans come to the table,” Blumenthal said.
[email protected] Twitter: @KenDixonCT
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