When we send our children to school each morning, we expect them to receive a quality education and return home safely every day. As a father, I share that sentiment, and as a public servant, I am fully dedicated to protecting our students.
After the 2022 tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, I traveled to that community to meet with parents, educators, emergency personnel and local leaders. What I witnessed in Uvalde was heartbreaking. The pain on the faces of the families and the frustration of the first responders revealed the tragic consequences of a system that failed many when it mattered most. Unfortunately, this frustration struck even closer to home when multiple individuals were killed in an act of senseless violence at Apalachee High School, here in the 47th Senate District.
As a result, when I began the 2025 legislative session, I immediately sought to take action against violence by co-sponsoring Senate Bill 17. This legislation, which was ultimately included in House Bill 268 and signed into law, represents one of the most comprehensive school safety measures Georgia has passed in recent memory. HB 268 requires all public schools in Georgia to adopt mobile panic alert systems that allow school staff to instantly notify local and state emergency responders during a crisis. In Uvalde, delayed communication cost lives. With this system, we give our school personnel and students a tool that eliminates confusion, reduces response time, and ensures law enforcement arrives prepared and informed.
We also included a provision that requires schools to share accurate digital floor plans with law enforcement. These detailed, room-by-room maps enable officers to navigate school buildings immediately upon arrival. They will no longer have to guess where a classroom is located or lose precious time understanding a building’s layout. When lives are on the line, every second matters.
HB 268 also addresses the long-term needs of students and educators by tackling the social and emotional challenges that can lead to violence or disruption. School districts will now be able to hire trained professionals who serve as mentors and provide support for students facing hardships. Expanded mental health services are critical for schools across Georgia, and I am glad that students from Hoschton to Statham to Comer will benefit from this. These resources include suicide prevention programming, behavioral health tools and access to anonymous threat reporting systems, which act as lifelines to students who may be struggling but don’t know where to turn. Too often, warning signs are missed because there is insufficient support to catch them early. With this law, we are taking meaningful steps to fill that gap.
Lastly, this law strengthens accountability by addressing juvenile firearm offenses. Minors who bring weapons onto school grounds will face more substantial penalties. While we still believe in rehabilitation, we must also set clear boundaries that protect students and teachers. Our updated juvenile code ensures Georgia’s courts have the authority to act swiftly and appropriately whenever the safety of our schools is threatened.
School safety is not an abstract issue in places like Danielsville, Jefferson, Winder, Braselton and Athens. Instead, it is an item parents, teachers, law enforcement officers and city leaders have been forced to address regularly. As a former city and county manager, I have spoken with local school officials across our area for decades about school security. This legislation takes another firm step toward protecting our students.
As a father, I think about the families in our district who drop their children off with the expectation that their child should be safe while learning; I think about the teachers across the state who dedicate their lives to education and deserve to feel secure in their classrooms; and I think about the students I have met whose futures are just beginning. They should be able to grow up in a safe, stable and supportive environment.
HB 268 is not the end of our work but a foundation that we, as a legislative body, will build on to secure a brighter future for our children. School safety is not something we can solve in one legislative session. Instead, it is a commitment that requires our ongoing attention and action. I will keep working daily to ensure our schools are not just centers of learning but places where safety and community come first. We owe our children nothing less.
# # # #
Sen. Frank Ginn represents the 47th Senate District which includes Madison County and portions of Barrow, Clarke, and Jackson County. He can be reached at (404) 656-4700 or by email at frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.