Cobb Reporter

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently welcomed city leaders from all walks to the Governor's Mansion for a roundtable discussion on school safety. 

Among discussions, Kemp focused on what schools must do beyond building- and security improvements, a report by FOX 5 Atlanta said. While much of the focus in the past has been on securing the perimeter of campuses, Fulton County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney said there is an increasing need to address student concerns and individual needs to prevent a crisis from occurring.

"As the parents of three daughters, one of whom is now a public-school teacher, we're very mindful of how important safety is in our schools today," Kemp said during the roundtable, quoted in the report.

Gov. Brian Kemp | Governor Brain Kemp/Facebook

A group of approximately three dozen state lawmakers, law enforcement officials and local school superintendents took part in the discussions, the report said. Kemp pointed to actions he's taken over the last four years—including $5,000 pay raises for school teachers and $30,000 school safety grants the State offered for every public school back in 2019—as steps in the right direction. 

With superintendents helping fill the room, many highlighted work their districts have done to help students in the past, the report said. Among them, Forsyth County's Jeff Bearden mentioned his district's "Student Advocacy Specialists"; put in place to work with students in crisis, especially those who may be dealing with thoughts of self-harm or harming others. 

While the roundtable got conversations rolling, participants anticipate that this is just the first of what will become an ongoing dialogue, the report said.