PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Governor Chafee and state leaders in education, law enforcement and health care on Wednesday will announce a package of bills being introduced in the General Assembly that they say will improve safety in Rhode Island schools in the wake of the massacre in Newtown, Conn.
The bills introduced in the House (H-5940,H-5941, H-5152) and Senate (S-14; S-801; S-800) would mandate that public and private schools conduct monthly drills -- "lockdown" drills, "rapid dismissal" drills and evacuation drills -- designed to train students and school personnel how to respond to threats both inside and outside the school buildings.
Each school district also would be required to form a school safety team which would devise safety plans with local police and fire officials. Their meetings would be closed to the general public and exempt from any review under the state Access to Public Records Law or state Open Meetings Law.