Georgia education department names security, support as 2025 legislative priorities after Apalachee shooting

Georgia Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods speaks at a podium.
Georgia Superintendent of Schools Richard Woods speaks to reporters, Jan. 5, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)

Ahead of the 2025 Georgia legislative session, the state’s Department of Education is pushing for increased school safety measures, initiatives for academic and educator success and support for students and schools.

Many of the recommendations come in light of the Barrow County school shooting in September, during which an Apalachee High School student allegedly shot and killed two students and two teachers, injuring others.

The safety priorities that the state education department is lobbying for include funding a school resource officer in every school. School resource officers, or SROs, act as members of law enforcement by monitoring the campus for suspicious activity and responding to safety concerns and threats.