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Louisiana youth panel urges broad school-safety standards and student-centered measures
Summary
Members of the Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council told the task force students want consistent standards across schools and protections that preserve a welcoming learning environment; LIAC members showed a video of student perspectives and described priorities such as single entry points, cameras and trained staff.
Members of the Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LIAC) told the task force that students want clear, consistent safety standards across schools that protect them while preserving a welcoming learning environment.
Addie Oakland, a LIAC member, said students “need not fear that the doors of our schools are open to danger, but rather a safe space for learning.” The council produced a short video compiling student perspectives describing metal detectors, single points of entry, visitor sign-in, locked doors and school resource officers as features that increase students’ sense of security.
Amelia Thompson, another LIAC representative, told the task force the council seeks a recommended set of best practices that could be adapted to different campuses: “We know that there's not going to be a magic formula that works for every school or every school district, but we want to at least put in a combination of, best practices and, physical safety features that would at least improve students' perception of being safe.”
Students in the video described practical steps their campuses had taken — back‑gate card readers, fenced-in playgrounds, metal detectors at some entrances, one-way door access and visible resource officers — and said the measures reduced anxiety even if they required minor inconveniences. The council emphasized training and drills as essential complements to hardware.
The task force acknowledged student voices and discussed how student perceptions should factor into any statewide guidance the panel proposes.
