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Chairman Doggett asks for $174,000 pilot of statewide school threat‑assessment tool
Summary
Chairman Doggett asked the appropriations committee for $174,000 in one-time funds to pilot an evidence-based threat‑assessment platform across Tennessee schools, describing it as a $6-per-student program to standardize early identification and intervention for concerning behavior.
Chairman Doggett told the House Appropriations Committee he wants a statewide pilot of a threat‑assessment system to help schools identify risks and intervene before violence occurs. "School safety is something that I care deeply about," he said, describing the proposal as a $174,000 request that would operate at about $6 per student annually and standardize screening and intervention across districts.
Doggett framed the pilot as the "next step" following large state investments in physical protections and school resource officers, saying the platform would provide standardized threat‑assessment protocols, data‑driven screening tools and coordinated intervention strategies. He cited prior threat‑assessment work in Lawrence County and said more than 400 assessments there helped identify students needing intervention.
The request was presented as amendment H.A.230. Doggett said the tool would replace "guesswork" with validated behavioral science and create a shared system to help identify risk across districts so "every student receives the same standard of safety and prevention." He described the cost as "cost effective" at roughly $6 per pupil.
Committee members did not take a vote during the informational hearing. The appropriations hearing schedule limits member presentations to two minutes; proponents must pursue formal adoption through the normal budget or bill‑marking process, at which time further details about procurement, privacy protections and district participation would be required.
