Survey: Parents Fear For Child Safety In Schools

One in three parents fear for their child’s safety in school, according to a survey that a national education group conducts every year.

Usually, Phi Delta Kappa International, an association of professional educators, releases survey results around the start of a new school year. This year they released school security data early, in the wake of the deadly school shootings in Florida and Texas.

Just more than 30 percent of respondents say they don’t feel confident in their child’s security at school, and regardless of political party, 76 percent of survey respondents support mental health service spending over paying for armed guards in schools. Overall, respondents lean toward mental health screenings, armed police and metal detectors in schools to improve security more than arming teachers or staff.

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Some of those efforts are already underway in Indiana. At least two school corporations have approved plans making guns available to trained teachers or staff, while several others are in the process of requesting free, handheld metal detectors from the state.

Lawmakers also approved a handful of school safety measures earlier this year, freeing up millions of dollars for schools to access funding and bolster their own security efforts. More recently, the Lilly Endowment announced millions of dollars in grants for some Indiana schools to improve school counseling programs and resources.