ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers have decided to abandon plans for a statewide database aimed at tracking students who may pose a violence risk. This decision comes as legislators move forward with other elements of a school safety bill designed to prevent tragedies like the recent shooting at Apalachee High School.
On Thursday, House and Senate representatives revealed a compromise version of House Bill 268, which received unanimous approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill is now poised for final passage as Georgia’s 2025 legislative session draws to a close.
The proposed database aimed to address concerns that the Barrow County school system lacked comprehensive information on the warning signs exhibited by the 14-year-old accused of fatally shooting two students and two teachers. However, strong opposition emerged from both sides of the political aisle, with concerns that such a database could unfairly stigmatize racial and religious minorities without due process.
Sen. Bill Cowsert, an Athens Republican, noted, “The reason it wasn’t going to fly was pushback from all points of the political spectrum that worried about their child being stigmatized just for an accusation or an uncorroborated complaint.”
The revised bill also eliminates a requirement for all school systems to establish formal threat management teams responsible for assessing potential student violence. This approach, championed by many national experts, is already supported by training offered by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. House Education Committee Chairman Chris Erwin expressed hope that schools would voluntarily adopt these practices.
Erwin stated, “I think there is a knowledge out there of the importance of planning and preparing already in schools, so having a full model structure for the state isn’t as important as maybe we once thought it was.”
Despite the alterations, the measure will still require law enforcement agencies to notify schools if a child threatens harm to others. However, these reports will not be part of the student’s educational record and will not accompany the student if they transfer to a different district.
This provision raises concerns about the bill’s effectiveness in addressing criticisms stemming from the Apalachee shooting incident. School officials were not informed that a Jackson County sheriff’s deputy had interviewed the suspect, Colt Gray, in May 2023 after receiving a tip about a potential shooting threat. While a report would be shared with Jackson County middle school officials, it would not follow Gray when he enrolled at a Barrow County school.
The bill also includes measures for quicker record transfers when students change schools, establishes a new position to coordinate mental health services in Georgia’s 180 school districts, and implements a statewide anonymous reporting system.
Additionally, lawmakers have incorporated features from previously passed Senate bills, mandating that all public schools in Georgia provide employees with wearable panic buttons. Schools will also be required to submit electronic maps of their campuses to local, state, and federal agencies annually.
Lastly, the amended bill would shift prosecution to an adult level for juveniles aged 13 to 16 charged with terroristic acts within schools, aggravated assaults with a firearm, or attempted murder. Originally, the Senate proposed a broader range of offenses for adult prosecution, but House leaders expressed concern about additional juveniles facing this level of accountability.
