FEDERAL REPORT HIGHLIGHTS KEY WAYS TO PREVENT SCHOOL ATTACKS

School officials nationwide should improve mental health resources, monitor student social media accounts and improve physical security measures, according to a Justice Department report on school safety released this week.

The report, compiled by the department’s School Safety Working Group, examined what the panel believes are the 10 most essential actions that officials can take to prevent mass shootings and other attacks in schools across the U.S.

School administrators around the nation are grappling with whether to resume in-person classes and restructuring to increase social distancing and other measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But they also must balance those changes with security measures and protocols that have been put in place in recent years to prevent violence.

Among the report’s key findings is the need for a comprehensive school safety assessment, which would be updated annually and would be a foundation for educators to evaluate potential vulnerabilities. School officials often forget to address whether there’s an ability to send an emergency mass notification to students and parents, as well as plans for reuniting families in case of a shooting or a lockdown, the report found. It said school officials should also address the possibility of so-called copy-cat attacks after a mass shooting or other incident at another school.