NIAGARA FALLS, NY (WKBW) — Keeping children safe in schools is a major priority and new generations of students routinely participate in lockdown drills each school year. But some New York State lawmakers say there are too many and it's taking a toll on a student's mental health.
A new bill before state lawmakers is asking to reduce the number of drills. According to the bill sponsors, when drills are held at schools they lead to a 39% increase in depression and a 42% increase in stress and anxiety for children.
7 News Senior Reporter Eileen Buckley takes us to the Gaskill Preparatory School in the City of Niagara Falls to find out how the drills are affecting students.
“But we have to make the students aware of this because, with the elevation in school shootings, we would want the school body to be prepared,” remarked Andrea Douglas, social worker, Gaskill Prep.
Andrea Douglas helps students navigate mental health concerns as a social worker at Gaskill Prep. She tells me lockdowns are a reality for students, but realizes it can be traumatic.
“Because from the mental health perspective, it can be triggering, especially for students who have PTSD. it can be a trigger, which then puts them into a different place,” Douglas noted.
The state mandates schools hold four lockdown drills each year so students are prepared if an active shooter enters their school.
But two state lawmakers from the New York City region are proposing a bill to reduce the drills to one per year claiming drills are taking a toll on students' mental health.
To give you an idea of how many active shooter drills public and private school students will participate in over their lifetime in a school building — it is 60 before they graduate.
"I think it's crucial that everyone knows their role and understands why we do drills like this,” replied Derek Zimmerman, Principal, Gaskill Prep.
The proposed bill also calls for parents to be allowed to have their children opt out of drills. But Zimmerman disagrees.
“God forbid something like that happens to a school. You can't predict when it's going to happen. and at the parent level. I want my kid to know what to do in a situation like that," Zimmerman commented.
Experts, like Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, believe parents should not opt out their children.
“Is it dangerous to have fewer drills?” Buckley asked.
“It is dangerous to have fewer drills and if you compare that to other drills like fire drills or severe weather drills — if you compare this to a fire drill it has been decades since we lost anyone in a school fire — I believe part of that is very much attributable to proper fire drills,” Canady replied.
Canady says he encourages parents to engage with their school districts to learn more about how the drills are conducted but advise against opting out.
“I would caution parents against that because in doing so, you may be very well making your child or student more vulnerable in the midst of an attack if they don't know what to do,” Canady explained.
The proposed bill would also call on schools to implement a ’Trauma-informed’ approach when drills are held.
But at Gaskill Prep, they already say they have a keen eye on a student's mental health when the drills are staged.
“Iterate the purpose of it, you know, so I understand where it can hurt the kids in a certain aspect from the mental health and my parents would be concerned. But I still see why it's beneficial,” Douglas described. “Just being able to have a safe space for them to come and maybe express how they feel afterward because it may be some students who are not normally on our caseload, who may not know what I'm feeling is anxiety is anxiousness, or I just had a panic attack.”
“I think as long as we roll these drills out, express the importance of the drills, identify those students who have a tough time with the drills prior to the drills happening, and kind of give them a forewarning of things that they could do,” Zimmerman noted.
I did reach out to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) for comment on this proposed bill. NYSED issued the following statement:
“The department does not comment on pending legislation.
“It is important for school administrators and leadership teams to always be prepared for any possible incident, but in this time of heightened anxiety related to school safety, it is particularly important to facilitate a safe and calm culture of preparedness, as well as clear communication between law enforcement and school officials. to that end, much of this work is already underway with the ongoing development of guidance and resources to support schools in developing high-quality emergency response plans to inform students on emergency procedures.
“We are working with national experts to develop best practices for drills that result in students and staff feeling more prepared and not traumatized while maintaining a commitment to preparedness. this June, NYSED will release a 13-module training video series to make this information more accessible to district and school staff. We are also engaged in developing a curriculum that includes guidance, training materials, and resources to train school staff and students in how to respond to specific emergency situations."
NYSED
