ROCK HILL, S.C. — As the nation reels from another deadly school shooting in Texas, some South Carolina lawmakers told Channel 9 steps were taken this year to make schools safer.
Republican South Carolina Rep. Gary Simrill pointed to three achievements, which are including in the budget for next year.
They are allocating $2 million to put school resource officers in every school in the state, eliminating a $10,000 cap on what retired officers can earn if they choose to return and creating a plan to appoint rather than elect the state superintendent of education, which could speed up the process of putting school safety measures into effect.
"It was a start,” Simrill said. “Did we do everything we needed to do? No."
In March, Channel 9 went to a school safety summit in Columbia, South Carolina.
Educators, police and security experts there wanted to see mental health counselors available to all students, as well as campuses made safer through building redesigns and security upgrades.
But lawmakers did not approve funding for either of those issues.
Democratic Rep. John King said the Republican-controlled General Assembly fell short.
"I’m interested in seeing how they can explain to the people of South Carolina that we have absolutely done nothing to help our kids be safe,” King said.
King proposed a 7 percent tax on firearms sales to add more money for school resource officers, but it was voted down.
"Now, with $2 million, we don't even have the funding to pay those who would like to come back,” King said.
About 500 schools in mostly poor districts don't currently have officers on campus.
As for money for mental health counselors and funding to harden schools against shootings, lawmakers question if that's something the state should pay for local school districts to have.
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