Iowa lawmakers advance bill to require door locks, video surveillance to protect schools from active shooters

DES MOINES — Public, private, charter and innovation zone schools in Iowa would be required to install new or modify existing door systems to prevent an active shooter from blocking exit doors, along with a video surveillance system that provides broad coverage and is accessible to law enforcement during an emergency under legislation advanced by lawmakers Tuesday.

School districts also would be required to install doors that can be locked from the inside when classroom doors or locks are being replaced. Interior-locking classrooms doors, secure vestibules, shatter- and intrusion-resistant glass would be mandated as part of any new school construction or renovation.

Recommendations come from task force that reviewed school safety

House File 603 incorporates recommendations from a task force created by lawmakers last year to review school infrastructure safety and security standards, including safety and security standards related to doors, windows, cameras and locks.

While compliant with the building and fire code, certain door systems may allow shooters the ability to chain or easily barricade themselves, students, teachers and staff inside the school, while preventing first responder access, according to the task force.

Districts can make relatively inexpensive changes to eliminate the potential threat, according to bill supporters. The bill would create a grant program administered by the Department of Education for districts to apply for money to purchase doors that comply with requirements of the bill.

There’s no guarantee, however, lawmakers will provide funding for the program, which would have to be included in a separate budget bill.

House File 603 also would require school districts to develop and implement a plan to monitor and restrict access to all school buildings to “prevent unauthorized access to attendance centers, and mitigate potential threats to students, staff and school property.” Schools would be required to identify, vet and monitor all school visitors, and provide training to students and staff on use of a free school threat reporting tool.

Provided by the Iowa Department of Public Safety through the Governor’s School Safety Bureau (GSSB), students, school staff, parents and community members can anonymously submit school safety concerns via a mobile app, website or toll-free tip line (800.224.6018) through Safe+Sound Iowa.

The bill would require school districts to sign up for and participate in Safe+Sound Iowa and publish a link to the electronic school threat reporting platform on the district’s website.

The bill does not require schools to use Safe+Sound as their reporting platform. Rather, it would ensure all schools provide necessary contact information so concerns can be timely relayed to that school in the event a threat is received through Safe+Sound, according to the task force report.

Lessons learned from school shootings in Uvalde and Sandy Hook

Districts also would be required to evaluate the potential use of shatter-resistant film in all windows, windowed doors and sidelights large enough for a person to enter or gain access to a locking mechanism to delay forced entry.

Such a delay is crucial during an active threat situation, giving students and staff additional time to evacuate, secure themselves, and call law enforcement, according to the task force report. The film consists of multiple layers of polyester mylar with adhesive and can be applied to the inside of the glass, or both sides for more strength.

The task force also emphasized that locking exterior and classroom doors is vital for safety and security.

In the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the gunman entered Robb Elementary through a back door that failed to properly lock. Classroom doors at Robb Elementary also could not be locked from the inside — a vulnerability school safety experts have been warning about for decades.

Schools should consider locks that can be locked from inside the classroom without a key, tool or specialist knowledge and that can easily opened from the outside with a key, code or credential, the task force urged.

According to the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission report, no active shooter has ever breached a locked classroom door during a school shooting, underscoring the importance of locking doors for safety, the task force report states.

The group discussed several potential changes to the building code to allow aftermarket door barricades, but determined building code and ADA-compliant door locks remain the best practice for Iowa schools and that aftermarket barricades, while a cheaper alternative, can create unintended risks and consequences.

School advocates: State must provide funding for safety upgrades

Public and private school advocates and education groups were mostly supportive of the bill, but raised concerns about the ability of districts to make security upgrades absent additional state funding.

“The grant program, which may or may not be funded, is very narrowly constructed, and it’s only for the lock replacement,” Emily Piper, representing the Iowa Association of School Boards registered in support of the bill, told lawmaker during a legislative hearing Tuesday.

She encouraged lawmakers to expand eligibility for grant funds to include additional safety upgrades.

Tom Chapman, director of the Iowa Catholic Conference, which represents Iowa’s Catholic schools, echoed Piper’s concerns.

“My suggestion is for the state to do what other states and simply pay for these changes both for the public schools and the non-public schools as a safety initiative,” Chapman said during the hearing.

Eric Goranson, representing the Iowa Association of Christian Schools, said there are many pieces to like about the bill, but as it’s written would create a “pretty massive unfunded mandate for schools.”

Ben Hammes, representing the Master Builders of Iowa, called the bill "a big leap forward“ to improve school safety.

Dave Daughton, representing School Administrators of Iowa and Rural School Advocates of Iowa, said provisions in the bill will make school’s safer, “but those things also cost some money, and we need to find ways to help our schools do that.”

Melissa Peterson, representing the Iowa State Education Association, said the group is supportive of the task force’s work and recommendation, but urged lawmakers to provide a designated funding stream that will work for all schools.

“We need additional appropriations to be able to make sure that we can implement those recommendations with fidelity,” Peterson said. “ … We know that school violence is not going way. The threats to our school settings is not going away. It’s quite likely moving in the opposite direction, and ISEA wants to make sure we can address this issue to the best of our ability, with fidelity in a safe, sound, evidence-based fashion to work toward prevention and security.”

Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, said it’s clear lawmakers “need to do something” and signed off on advancing the bill “as long as we think we can put our money where our mouth is.”

Rep. Amy Nielsen, D-North Liberty, agreed, joining Brown-Powers and the rest of the subcommittee advancing the bill for further consideration to the full House budget committee.

Rep. Dan Gehlbach, R-Urbandale, said he anticipated working through amendments to the bill to address concerns “to make it a better bill.”

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