“ Students must feel safe , and our schools must be safe in order for learning to take place ,” she says .
Safety takes priority in school building construction . In 2007 , the state Legislature created the School Access Safety Act , which empowered the School Building Authority ( SBA ) to fund the design , construction , renovation , repair and upgrading of facilities to enhance the ingress and egress of schools . The next year , the authority incorporated safety elements into its Quality and Performance Standards .
“ Since the creation of the Safe School Act , which was incorporated in the SBA ’ s policy , we have continued to make changes and further improve our policies relating to safe school needs ,” says Andy Neptune , SBA executive director . “ This process is an ever-flowing review to keep up with a continued look at the needs for a better safe school environment .”
With the goal of student safety , Governor Jim Justice announced the School Safety Initiative by the state Department of Homeland Security in 2022 .
The initiative aims to provide guid - ance to school personnel , students , par ents and community members to
• Historic 1898 property
• Variety of accommodations from historic to modern glamping domes
• Climate controlled glamping domes on property with private bathrooms
• Main estate house and original carriage house rooms
• Cottage suites plus a large family style suite
• On-site café
• Event / dining dome available for special events
• 300 feet of riverfront property on the Elk River , featuring fishing , kayaking and nearby hiking trails
• Located close to Sutton Lake and Sutton Lake Marina
• Local attractions : Flatwoods Monster Museum , Big Foot Museum and Main Street Coffee Shop
• Complimentary deluxe continental breakfast
( 304 ) 402-2121 | 616 Main Street , Sutton , WV 26601 | elkriverhotel . com
detect and prevent school violence by recognizing threatening behavior in students and providing the tools necessary to seek assistance in the event of a crisis or threat .
“ In my 43-year career , this is the most impactful , collaborative and strategic effort I have been a part of to protect our most valuable resource in West Virginia — our children ,” says Jeff Sandy , former secretary of Homeland Security . “ While developing this initiative , we have worked closely with the West Virginia Department of Education ( WVDE ), West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources , School Building Authority and federal , state and local law enforcement partners . So far , there is $ 2 million invested into this initiative so that all these great ideas can be put into practice .”
As a part of the initiative , Department of Homeland Security Secretary Mark Sorsaia , Deputy Secretary Rob Cunningham and School Safety and Security Administrator Ron Arthur oversee safety procedures and facility security .
“ This partnership has proven to be extremely successful as it allows our team to focus more time on the social and emotional well-being of children , which is often the root cause of serious incidents and threats inside of schools nationwide ,” Blatt says . “ Through
60
WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE