Governor Hutchinson Announces Reinstatement of Arkansas School Safety Commission

Government and Politics

June 11, 2022

From: Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders

LITTLE ROCK – With the increased concern about school safety in the wake of recent events around the nation, Governor Asa Hutchinson announced today that he has issued an executive order to reinstate the Arkansas School Safety Commission.

“The recent violence in Texas was a stark reminder that the work of securing our schools is never done,” Governor Hutchinson said. “That is why I am calling the Arkansas School Safety Commission back into service. Members of the commission, which I created in 2018, submitted thirty significant recommendations in their original 124-page report. School districts around the state have implemented many of the recommendations.

“But it is crucial that we constantly assess the security of our schools and keep abreast of the best ways to ensure our children and educators are safe. The original commission built a solid foundation on which to continue this vital work.”

Members of the commission will review the final report from the Commission in 2018. They will update the analysis of the safety of K-12 schools throughout the state taking into consideration the physical and mental health of students. The Commission will identify any new recommendations of best practices in school safety that have developed since 2018.

The School Safety Commission’s first meeting will be Tuesday, June 14, at the state capitol, and the initial report is due to Governor Hutchinson on August 1, 2022.

The commission will include a representative from the Arkansas Attorney General’s office, the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM), the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy (ALETA).

The commission also will include the director of the CJI, a county sheriff, a public school superintendent, a public school teacher, a public school counselor, and a former federal law enforcement officer.

Members of the commission are as follows:

Dr. Cheryl May – Chair
Director, Criminal Justice Institute
University of Arkansas System

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
Arkansas Attorney General, or her designee

A.J. Gary
Director, Division of Emergency Management
Arkansas Department of Public Safety

Dr. David Hopkins
Superintendent, Clarksville School District

Donna Wilchie
School Counselor, Conway School District

Tim Cain
Director, Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation
Arkansas Department of Education

Crystal Braswell
Office of Coordinated Support and Services, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Arkansas Department of Education

Tim Helder
Sheriff, Washington County

Bill Temple
Retired Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Dr. Laura Dunn
Director, UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute

Secretary Jami Cook
Director, Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy
Secretary, Arkansas Department of Public Safety

John Allison
Teacher, Vilonia High School

Marvin Burton
Principal, Little Rock School District

Chris Chapmond
Chief, Hot Springs Police Department
President, Arkansas Association of Chiefs of Police

Patricia Gann
Deputy Director, Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services
Arkansas Department of Human Services

Bill Gossage
Deputy Chief of Staff, External Operations, Governor’s Office

Linda Graham
School Psychologist, Nettleton School District

Dr. Mike Hernandez
Executive Director, Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators

Bill Hollenbeck
Chief of Police, Fort Smith Public Schools

Ricky Hopkins
Parent, Prescott School District

Tom Jenkins
Chief, Rogers Fire Department

Lori Poston
Vice President of Clinical Services, Northeast Region, Arisa Health

Courtney Salas-Ford
Chief Legal Counsel, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Arkansas Department of Education

Paula Stone
Assistant Director, Children’s Services, Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services
Arkansas Department of Human Services

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