Title 17. Education

Chapter 2. Teachers and Employees

Part I. General Provisions

17:416.16       School crisis management and response plans

A. (1) For the purposes of this Section, a “crisis management and response plan” means a plan to address school safety and the incidence of a shooting or other violence at schools, on school buses, and at school-related activities; to respond effectively to such incidents; and to ensure that every student, teacher, and school employee has access to a safe, secure, and orderly school that is conducive to learning. Such plans shall also address the management of any other emergency situation. 

(2) A school crisis management and response plan shall be prepared by each public school principal jointly with local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials. In preparing the plan, the principal and such officials shall consider and include, if appropriate, input from students enrolled in the school and their parents, teachers at the school, other school employees, and community leaders. 

(3) The plan, which shall focus on preventing the loss of life and the injury of students and teachers and other school employees, shall detail the roles and responsibilities of each school employee and the relevant coordination agreements, services, and security measures of a school and provide for parental notification in the event of a shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation. 

(4) The plan may provide for the counseling of students by mental health professionals in the event of a shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation, encouraging peer helper programs, and identifying students who may have experienced rejection or other traumatic life events. 

B. (1) Each public school principal, jointly with local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials, shall review the plan at least once annually and shall revise the plan as necessary. In reviewing and revising the plan, the principal and such officials shall consider and include input, if appropriate, from students enrolled in the school and their parents, teachers at the school, other school employees, and community leaders. Each principal shall submit such plan in writing to the local school superintendent for approval at least once annually, including upon each revision. 

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, when conducting the annual review of the crisis management and response plan for a high school, the school principal shall seek and consider input from the students enrolled in the school who shall be represented by either the president of the senior class or the president of the student council and at least one other responsible student selected by the principal. 

(3) The superintendent shall make an annual report to the public school governing authority on the status of the plan of each school under the governing authority’s jurisdiction. 

C. (1) Within the first thirty days of each school year, each public school principal shall conduct a safety drill to rehearse the components of the plan. Not later than seven days after the drill, the principal shall submit a written report summarizing the details of the drill to the local superintendent. The superintendent may comment on the drill to the principal, who may consider such comments in revising the plan. 

(2) Each public school principal shall notify all teachers and other school employees regarding revisions made to the plan. 

D. Each plan shall provide that classroom doors with locks that are in compliance with all fire safety standards promulgated by the office of state fire marshal code enforcement and building safety of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall remain locked during instructional time. Each plan shall provide that a locked door shall not obstruct egress. 

E. If a school has a resource officer as authorized in R.S. 17:416.19 or a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor, he shall join the principal and local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials in preparing the plan and participate in any review or revision of the plan. 

F. Each school year, each public school principal shall be responsible for providing in-service training, which may be incorporated into a meeting or training session held for another purpose, for all teachers and school employees pertaining to the plan and may involve local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials in the preparation and presentation of the training. 

G. Each public school principal shall keep a copy of the approved plan in his office and shall provide a copy to the following individuals, each of whom shall be responsible for keeping in his respective office a copy of the plan that is readily accessible in the event of a school shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation: 

(1) The president of the local school board. 

(2) The local school superintendent. 

(3) The chief of police of the municipality or the sheriff of the parish where the school is located, as applicable, as well as the local fire chief whose office is in closest geographic proximity to the school. 

H. For the purposes of this Section, for a charter school, the “local superintendent” shall mean the chief executive officer of the school or other employee holding an equivalent position. 

I. (1) The governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school may adopt rules and regulations as it deems necessary to provide for the implementation of the provisions of this Section. 

(2) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in consultation with the Nonpublic School Commission, shall adopt rules and regulations requiring the governing authorities of nonpublic schools to address school safety. These rules and regulations shall address management and response in the event of a shooting or other violent incident on school campuses, school buses, and at school-related activities and shall provide for a safe, secure, and orderly school that is conducive to learning for every student, teacher, and school employee. These rules and regulations may also address management and response in the event of any other emergency situation. 

J. In accordance with R.S. 44:3.1, school crisis management and response plans shall not be subject to the Public Records Law. 

Added by Acts 2001, No. 313, § 1, eff. June 6, 2001. Amended by Acts 2013, No. 50, § 1; Acts 2018, No. 168, § 1; Acts 2019, No. 44, § 1, eff. June 1, 2019.