ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers have decided to abandon the effort to establish a statewide database intended to gather information on students potentially at risk of committing violence. This comes as they continue to advance other components of a school safety bill designed to avert incidents similar to the school shooting that occurred in September at Apalachee High School.
On Thursday, lawmakers from both the House and Senate presented a compromise version of House Bill 268, which subsequently received unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary committee. The stage is now set for the final passage as Georgia’s 2025 legislative session draws to a close.
Many believe that the Barrow County school system lacked a comprehensive understanding of the warning signs exhibited by the 14-year-old charged in the tragic shootings that claimed the lives of two students and two teachers. However, there was significant pushback from both Democratic and Republican groups, expressing concerns that the database could establish a lasting blacklist without due process, potentially leading to unfair treatment of racial and religious minorities.
“The reason it wasn’t going to fly was pushback from all points of the political spectrum that worried about their child being stigmatised just for an accusation or an uncorroborated complaint,” stated Sen. Bill Cowsert, a Republican from Athens who represents parts of Barrow County.
The revised version has eliminated the mandate for all school systems to establish formal threat management teams tasked with assessing the potential for student violence. Many national experts strongly recommend that approach, and training is already provided by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. Chairman of the House Education Committee, Chris Erwin, a Republican representing Homer, expressed optimism that schools would choose to adopt the model on a voluntary basis.
“I believe that schools already recognise the significance of planning and preparation,” Erwin stated. “It seems that having a comprehensive model structure for the state may not be as crucial as we previously believed.”
Police agencies would still be mandated to inform schools if officers become aware of any threats of death or injury made by a child towards someone at the school. However, it’s important to note that those reports are not required to be included in a student’s educational record and will not follow a student if they move to a different district.
This brings to light concerns regarding whether the bill effectively tackles one of the main criticisms that emerged after the Apalachee shooting. In a recent development, it has come to light that school officials in Jackson County were not informed about a sheriff’s deputy’s interview with Colt Grey back in May 2023. This interview followed a tip from the FBI suggesting that Grey may have made a shooting threat online. The report was set to be sent to middle school officials in Jackson County as per the bill, but it would not have been carried over when Grey enrolled as a freshman in Barrow County after completely skipping the eighth grade.
The legislation requires faster record transfers for students switching schools, establishes a new role to coordinate mental health services for students across all 180 school districts in Georgia, and implements a statewide anonymous reporting system.
On Thursday, lawmakers incorporated elements from distinct Senate bills that had previously been approved. All public schools in Georgia would be required to equip their employees with wearable panic buttons. Public schools will be mandated to provide electronic maps of their campuses to local, state, and federal agencies on an annual basis.
The revised legislation establishes that adult prosecution will be the standard approach for cases involving children aged 13 to 16 who are charged with terroristic acts in schools, any aggravated assault involving a firearm, or attempted murder. The Senate initially suggested a wider array of offences for which adult prosecution would be the standard approach. House leaders expressed their intention to refrain from sending additional juveniles into adult prosecution.
