PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Oregon House lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill on Wednesday that would require parents and guardians to be electronically notified during a school emergency.
The School Emergency Notifications Act requires schools and school districts to send guardians a description of the issue that caused the action, what actions were taken and for how long and how the issue was resolved.
“As a new father, I can’t fathom the pain, fear, and heartache parents of school age children feel when they face the uncertainty of a safety issue at their children’s school,” said Rep. Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham), the primary chief sponsor of the bill.
Ruiz added, “as our students continue to experience gun violence in schools and across our nation, parents and guardians deserve transparency and communications in these unimaginable situations; that’s why I introduced the School Emergency Notifications Act with an emergency. It is imperative that this is implemented in Oregon as soon as possible.”
After its unanimous passage in the house, the bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The bill happened to be introduced on the same day of a lockdown at Portland’s Franklin High School in February because of a shooting near the school.
After officials said shots were heard near campus, Franklin High School and Atkinson Elementary School secured their perimeters
School administrators heard what they believed to be gunshots, called 911 and issued a “secure-the-perimeter” warning “out of an abundance of caution.”
Portland Public Schools confirmed no students or staff were injured.
One mom told KOIN 6 News she never got any notification from the school or district about what was happening, until her daughter, a sophomore at Franklin, told her.
A PPS spokesperson previously told KOIN 6 News an email about the Franklin High School situation went out to parents very quickly. But some parents blocked the incoming emails which delayed them getting information.
In a statement, PPS said they communicate “to families within hours after an incident, such as a lockdown. The proposed bill essentially requires schools to do what is already being done. We would be very appreciative of a bill that focuses on reducing gun violence in our community, as opposed to legislation on how we should react to it. We remain committed to student and staff safety and will continue to work with city, county and state leaders on this topic.”