Harrisburg- Senator Doug Mastriano (PA-33) is calling for a funding stream in this year’s budget to go towards fortifying school security and additional mental health resources in schools.
“Nothing will replace the precious lives tragically lost in yesterday’s heinous attack at Robb Elementary School in Texas, but we can take steps to avoid these tragedies in the future by fortifying our schools and increasing mental health resources. We are facing a mental health crisis in our nation that continues to worsen. Unfortunately, these senseless acts will continue to occur regardless of the laws on the books or the weapon of choice.
“Pennsylvania has already proactively taken several steps through the Safe2Say program and the School Safety Grant Program to help keep our students and teachers safe, but in our current environment we need to do more.
“For these reasons, I am calling for additional funds in this year’s state budget to be utilized by school districts to improve mental health resources including increasing the number of guidance counselors and improving training for teachers and administrators to help them identify potential warning signs and proper referral and intervention techniques. Additionally, the funds could be used for armed resource officers, arming teachers, metal detectors, door fortifications, emergency response training, and other mitigation measures.
“In Pennsylvania, we can increase funding to further ensure students are safe and have access to adequate mental health resources, but we must act now.”
Media Contact: Josh Herman