Etheridge, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, visited Clayton Middle School last week to talk about the Schools Empowered to Respond Act of 2008. “School boards are dealing with it, grappling with it in some cases, when the only thing they thought they would be talking about is the curriculum,” he said of recent tragic events at schools.

The bill creates an office within Homeland Security that would work with other federal agencies to ensure schools are prepared for emergencies.

Also, the bill would make it easier for schools to get their hands on federal emergency-preparedness dollars.

“Children spend the majority of their daylight hours in school, but schools are often overlooked when considering emergency-preparedness and first-responder needs,” Etheridge said. “Given recent events across the country, we as a nation simply must invest in emergency planning to ensure our children have safe and secure places to learn.”

More than 60 percent of school districts lack the equipment, training and experienced personnel needed to handle emergencies, according to a study by the Government Accountability Office. Etheridge’s bill would provide training for school resource officers.

“The best way to find out what is going on is through the students because they know before any other teacher or administrator will know,” Etheridge said. “Student resource officers are trained to deal with it.”

Etheridge wrote the legislation after surveying principals and superintendents in North Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District. Respondents said they wanted more assistance and direction from the federal government.