A small survey reveals how some San Francisco-area students feel about active shooter drills as the state prepares to implement the Safe and Prepared Schools Act.
The Safe and Prepared Schools Act, also known as Assembly Bill 1858, was proposed following a series of controversial active shooter drills at California schools. The bill, which was signed into law this month by Governor Gavin Newson, standardizes how public schools conduct active shooter drills. It also bans “high-intensity drills” that involve dramatics, such as simulated gunfire and fake blood. The state Department of Education is tasked with drawing up specific requirements and implementing them by Jan. 1.
The informal survey was issued by Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school students who report on stories under the guidance of professional journalists. It was taken by 15 students at various South Bay high schools. The students who participated in the survey said they can’t recall a time when they didn’t practice active shooter drills, although some said the methods have changed over the years.
“We used to barricade but now we usually only lock doors,” said Abraham High School senior Lena Chavez, noting the first drill she did was in kindergarten.
Of the students sampled, 80% said current drills fail to effectively prepare them for a real emergency. Many also agreed active shooter drills must be age-appropriate and said they support that Assembly Bill 1858 bans the use of fake weapons, blood, and simulated gun fire for all ages.
“I do not believe it is worth traumatizing individuals to get across the severity of the topic,” one respondent wrote. “Fear shouldn’t be instilled to coerce students to follow through the drills,” wrote another.
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The new bill also requires parents be notified ahead of a planned active shooter drill, which respondents were split on.
“Parents should know and have the right to know that their kids are going through these drills to remain as safe as possible,” one student said. “During an actual shooting, parents will not get notified until after the shooting stops. It’s not realistic,” said another.
The new bill, however, does not require students to be notified ahead of time — something respondents were also split on.
“Students should be notified because they may need emotional preparation,” said one student. “I don’t think we should be notified. Students will become better prepared for an emergency due to irregular drills,” said another.
Students Offer Suggestions on Improving Active Shooter Drills
Across states and school districts, the number of active shooter drills conducted each year vary significantly, and some students noted the drills have lo lost their impact.
“We just sit quietly until the announcements tell us it’s over,” said a Lincoln High School senior. “Then it’s a normal day again.”
Every respondent said they’ve been hiding under desks and barricading since elementary school. Some offered suggestions as to how state education officials can make improvements to how the drills are conducted.
“I would want it to be at a random part of the day,” said a senior at Silver Creek High School. “If it were break, we could practice running out on the field.”
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A sophomore from Del Mar suggests more impromptu drills.
“Our drills are always planned and timed. A real shooter situation wouldn’t give us the mercy of preparing for it,” he said. “They leave me upset with the fact that we have to do these things, but it also doesn’t help me feel safer.”
Caleb Beaver, legislative aide to Assemblymember Chris Ward, who introduced Bill 1858, told Mosaic he was pleased to hear the student responses, noting schools have the ability to choose what they teach in active shooter drills. Beaver also said he hopes the legislature will incorporate the students’ suggestions into future legislation.
Other States Ban Realistic Active Shooter Drills
Additional states have created laws or established guidelines on how active shooter drills are conducted as data continues to show the effects of these drills on student mental health. A 2021 study found anxiety, stress, and depression among students increased 39-42% following an active shooter drill.
In 2021, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed the School Safety Bill that ensures active shooter drills in Texas schools are developed with the mental health and well-being of students and teachers in mind. It states the content of the exercises must be developed by school administrators, teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and law enforcement.
“With Senate Bill 168 signed into law, schools that choose to conduct active shooter exercises will be required to use best-practices and trauma-informed policies, including providing advance notice, and that the content of the exercises is age-appropriate, and is developed by relevant experts in education, law enforcement, and mental health,” said Texas Senator César Blanco, who championed the bill.
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This July, the New York State Education Department voted to ban realistic active shooter drills in schools to reduce unnecessary fear and trauma. The state’s new rules, approved by the Board of Regents, call for a “trauma-informed” and “age-appropriate” approach to drills that excludes the use of “props, actors, simulations, or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting, incident of violence, or other emergency” when school or extracurricular activities are in session.
Last month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order creating a multi-agency effort to develop guidelines and share resources on making active shooter drills safer and more effective.
