AB 1721: Pupil safety: comprehensive school safety plans.

Under existing law, each school district and county office of education is responsible for the overall development of a comprehensive school safety plan for each of its schools operating kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in cooperation with certain local entities. Existing law requires that the plan include identification of appropriate strategies and programs that will provide or maintain a high level of school safety and address the schools procedures for complying with existing laws related to school safety.

This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, State Board of Education, to, on or before July 1, 2027, convene a statewide stakeholder workgroup, as provided, to review existing comprehensive school safety plans and make recommendations on the development and approval process and the required elements of a comprehensive school safety plan, as provided. The bill would require the Superintendent to, on or before July 1, 2028, submit a report on the recommendations of the workgroup to the Department of Finance and appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature. The bill would authorize the State Department of Education to enter into exclusive or nonexclusive contracts, as provided, with nongovernmental entities to implement these provisions.