School Safety Infrastructure Council

Overview

 

PLEASE NOTE: The School Safety Infrastructure Council was repealed by Public Act 22-118. The Public Act transferred the responsibilities for the School Safety Infrastructure Criteria to the School Building Projects Advisory Council.The School Safety Infrastructure Council, created under Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-292r, is responsible for developing and updating school safety infrastructure criteria for school building projects awarded grants under the School Construction Grant Program and for developing the school security infrastructure competitive grant program. In Connecticut the concern for school safety is not new.  Safety is a consideration in virtually every school construction project. However, despite this concern, the state lacks uniform statewide methodologies for assessing and addressing school safety infrastructure design. Until now school safety has been almost entirely determined by local decision makers, leading to a very uneven and unpredictable level of school security design across school district lines. 

As an alternative, a uniform comprehensive threat assessment process, consistent criteria and corresponding building plans will help ensure a threshold level of awareness, responsiveness and security.

Implicit in the authorizing legislation, and a starting point for the SSIC, is the public policy determination that schools are vulnerable facilities subject to the threat of violence with the potential for loss of life or serious injury to students and staff.  Also implicit in that policy is the belief that protective school design techniques can make school grounds and school buildings safer places in which to conduct educational activities.

SSIC Advisory Council Seats