New York state will ban realistic active shooter drills in schools

NEW YORK – New York state is banning realistic active shooter drills in schools.

In a recent meeting, the state Board of Regents agreed with parents, activists and lawmakers who claimed the drills traumatize children and normalize violence.

How schools in New York will prepare students for active shooter situations

New rules will take effect at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.

In the future, schools will use age-appropriate methods that do not include the use of actors, props or violent depictions during school hours.

Schools will also be required to alert parents and guardians that the drill will be taking place at least one week ahead of time.

Stella Kaye, a 17-year-old gun violence survivor, told CBS New York she supports the changes.

"Research doesn't show that they're useful or prevent school shootings," she said. "The last drill we did, I looked around and I saw everyone scrolling on their phones, and I was just thinking to myself, this is not a solution."

Sen. Andrew Gounardes is proposing a bill that would reduce the number of mandatory lockdown drills in New York schools from four per year to two.

In a statement, Gounardes said in part, "Our current approach to school lockdown drills does more to traumatize kids than keep them safe. The Board's newly-adopted regulations are an important step toward changing that. They ensure drills happen in a trauma-informed, age-appropriate way that includes accommodations for students with disabilities, PTSD, and other needs, and they give parents advanced notice before drills happen."