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Committee releases $15 million school security pilot emphasizing on‑site mental‑health services
Summary
The Senate Education Committee released S569, which would create a county‑based school security pilot in the Department of Education with a $15 million appropriation; law‑enforcement witnesses urged embedding mental‑health services and formal coordination protocols, while school officials asked that funding be spread beyond three counties.
The Senate Education Committee on Monday released Senate Bill 569, a proposal to establish a county‑based school security pilot program in the Department of Education with a $15,000,000 appropriation.
Supporters, including witnesses from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, told the committee the bill should center on students' behavioral health. "it invests in the students' mental health as a core element of school safety," said Andrew Cajiano, president of the association, arguing that on‑site mental‑health services and crisis‑intervention capabilities reduce reliance on police by addressing problems earlier.
A law‑enforcement representative described the rolling shield — a deployable piece of equipment for active‑shooter responses — as a way to speed rescues. "This piece of equipment...will provide a piece of infrastructure which will allow for victim rescues during these critical incidents," said Giacomo Sacca, who testified in support of appropriating funds for that device.
Representatives of school business officials raised a distribution concern, saying they want the funding spread over a broader set of counties rather than limited to three. "We would like to see the funding spread over a broader base area in the state, not just 3 counties," a school business official told the committee.
A motion to release the bill carried on a roll call; the committee chair said the measure, if released today, will proceed to the budget process.
The committee also took testimony asking for stronger coordination protocols between schools, providers and local law enforcement, standardized screening and measurable outcomes, and flexible staffing options including telehealth to address workforce limits. The bill was released to the next step in the process.
