Ahead of the 2025 Georgia legislative session, the state’s Department of Education is pushing for increased school safety measures, initiatives for academic and educator success and support for students and schools.
Many of the recommendations come in light of the Barrow County school shooting in September, during which an Apalachee High School student allegedly shot and killed two students and two teachers, injuring others.
The safety priorities that the state education department is lobbying for include funding a school resource officer in every school. School resource officers, or SROs, act as members of law enforcement by monitoring the campus for suspicious activity and responding to safety concerns and threats.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation credited the SROs of Apalachee High School with helping to bring the alleged shooter into custody.
The department is also recommending a crisis alert system in every school, continued safety funding, the creation of a new school safety coordinator position at the department and increased record sharing between schools, law enforcement, districts and state agencies.
Among the other safety priorities include statewide model policies for cell phone use and fentanyl awareness initiatives, in addition to funding for naloxone, which treats narcotic overdose.
In July, Wesley’s Law took effect, authorizing the storage of naloxone at “all qualified government buildings and courthouses, including school property.”
Also, this year, schools nationwide and in Georgia began implementing personal device bans to increase student attention and engagement.
However, following the Apalachee High School shooting, some parents expressed concerns that their children would not have access to their phones to communicate with parents during an emergency. In contrast, some educators and parents have also said that the personal device bans have been instrumental in improving academic and social engagement.
The state education department’s recommendation tries to strike a balance between these two priorities by supporting model policies that would “minimize instructional distractions and bullying, while providing appropriate access in safety and medical situations.”
In addition to increasing physical safety, the Georgia Department of Education is also pushing for legislation to increase support resources for vulnerable parts of the state, including Barrow County Schools and those affected by Hurricane Helene.
The department is also supporting changes to the Quality Basic Education funding formula that adds “a poverty weight,” as well as more funding for social workers, psychologists, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, etc.
The state department is also pushing for funding for facilities at charter schools, as well as continued investment in cybersecurity in schools and afterschool and summer programs.
In terms of academic success, the department is advocating for the creation of a Literacy Trust to fund universal screeners, curricula, training, teacher stipends and coaches. This year’s legislative priorities also include providing a pocket U.S. Constitution to all fourth graders and creating more career-based programs and opportunities.
When it comes to educator retention and benefits, the department is advocating for compensating teachers who “earn a leadership degree” and designating reading, math and special education as high-need areas that schools can hire retired teachers to teach while eliminating the original July 2026 sunset date for the law that allows them to return to work.
In general, the department is pushing for full funding for QBE.
The 2025 legislative session in Georgia starts Jan. 13, 2025.
