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In an effort to increase security, New Jersey will use $6.5 million in federal funds to finish creating digital maps of all the state’s schools — public and private — that law enforcement can access in case of emergencies, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Tuesday.
The announcement comes three months after 19 students and two teachers were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas — a massacre that spurred intense discussions nationwide about how best to protect children and staff in classrooms.
It also comes as several of New Jersey’s 1.3 million students have already begun classes for the new school year, with more set to return in the coming days.
The state began creating digital blueprints of schools in 2019, using Collaborative Response Graphics software developed by the U.S. military. So far, police departments have maps for about half of New Jersey’s 3,000 public and private schools.
This money, culled from coronavirus relief funds under the American Rescue Plan, will help the state digitize maps for the other 1,500 schools.
The electronic renderings include schools’ interior and exterior layouts, including buildings, grounds, key utilities, entrances, exists, parking, and surrounding areas. Murphy said the system is more efficient than having police rely on bulky traditional blueprints.
The initiative will take a year, he said, meaning it won’t be completed until the 2023-24 school year.
“School safety is among our most sacred obligations,” the governor said while announcing the initiative during an event at East Brook Middle School in Paramus.
“An important part of school safety is ensuring first responders have the tools they need to answer any emergency at any time,” Murphy added. “When every second matters, the most important tool is to know without delay not just where an emergency is in the building but the safest way to get there.”
The initiative also requires law enforcement to take an annual walkthrough of school buildings and grounds, Murphy said.
Until now, most law enforcement officers only enter a school for the first time during an emergency, said Laurie Doran, director of the New Jersey Department of Homeland Security, in expressing support for the program.
”We can face further challenges when school floor plans are outdated, inaccurate, or inaccessible to first responders,” Doran said, adding that can “undermine” an emergency response and put lives in jeopardy.
Some school districts are already on board.
The Toms River Regional Schools district has been digitally mapping all of its buildings for several years now, said Michael Kenny, communications coordinator for Toms River schools.
“In fact, TRRS is the first school district to complete digital mapping of all of its buildings and the first to link it with Raptor Technologies, an emergency management system which connects our schools directly to our local police departments and first responders,” Kenny said. “So, while the new safety policy does not alter what we’re already doing here, we applaud any and all efforts to keep students and educators safe throughout New Jersey.”
Edison Schools Superintendent Bernard Bragen said his district has also already shared its layouts with local police.
“We have a great working relationship with the Edison Township Police Department, and we believe that working together we can best protect our students and staff,” said Bernard Bragen, superintendent of Edison Public Schools.
A spokesperson for the New Jersey School Boards Association said the group was glad federal funding was being used to bring other districts on board.
“We have advocated for the need to provide funding for local boards of education to take advantage of this important technology, and believe it will play a critical part in promoting school security,” spokeswoman Janet Bamford said.
Murphy noted this effort is a companion to a law he signed in August requiring all school districts in New Jersey to develop threat assessment teams to find “vulnerabilities” and help prepare for possible emergencies. He also said schools may choose to beef up armed security in buildings.
“How do we make schools as safe as we can? There’s no magic wand,” the governor told reporters after Tuesday’s event. “We’re not patting ourselves on the back. But we will constantly support items we know make schools safer. … I think it’s a whole combination of a lot of things.”
State lawmakers have been considering a bill (S2426) that would mandate something similar this initiative — requiring public and private school districts in New Jersey to submit “critical mapping data” to local law enforcement. That includes aerial images of schools, floor plans, entrances, and location of hazardous materials and utility shutoffs. The proposal would also give info to squad cars.
The measure cleared both education committees in the state Senate and Assembly but has to pass each of the full chambers before Murphy could decide whether to sign it into law. It’s unclear if the initiative announced Tuesday makes the bill moot.
State Sen. Joseph Lagana, D-Bergen, a sponsor of that measure, was on hand Tuesday to praise the new state initiative.
“When it comes to school security, each and every day, we have to think of ways to make our schools safer,” Lagana said. “We don’t want them to look like courthouses, but there does need to be a certain level of security in our schools.”
Acting state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said the plan will “provides us with a valuable tool that will further enhance the security of our schools, provide greater protection of students and teachers, and save lives” and “provide comfort to educators, administrators, and most importantly, to families and their children.”
The Uvalde shooting has also ignited more debate over gun control across the country. Murphy and state lawmakers enacted a long-delayed package of laws to further tighten New Jersey’s gun laws in the wake of the attack. The Democratic governor also said he may seek more gun control legislation, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that could loosen New Jersey’s conceal-carry restrictions.
Many Republicans, however, have called for lawmakers to do more to bolster security at schools, arguing that criminals don’t adhere to gun laws.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist., said Tuesday shootings are a “clear danger” and the new security initiative will help law enforcement respond more swiftly.
“Every second counts,” Gottheimer said.
