New York State Bans Realistic School Shooter Drills

The New York State Board of Education approved new regulations on banning realistic school shooter drills.

Under the new rules, the new rules require schools to notify staff and students about planned drills. Parents must also be notified a week in advance. School officials do not have to tell the parents exactly what day the drill will occur. According to News10, the use of actors and props designed to mimic real shooting situations will no longer be permitted.

While some parents welcomed the new regulations, others believe realistic drills are effective. Several people from one school district sent a letter to the Education Department in objection to the ban according to Campus Safety Magazine:

“These commenters argue that the active shooter training provided to employees and students in grades 9-12 is essential to preparedness and request that training methods be left to local discretion,” the department said.

The rules will go into effect this school year (September 2024), in both public and non-public schools. These schools will also be required to conduct eight evacuation drills and four lockdown drills each year.

One parent, Jerry Ford, expressed relief over the changes with News10:

“I was dropping my high school son off, and there was a drill that took place right in the parking lot of the school. He was petrified,” Ford shared. “We can still walk through the drills, but we just don’t need all those. The guns. I mean, even if they’re replicas, even if they’re fake, they resemble a real thing.”

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