MTSBA Innovation Symposium – Keynote Speaker to Address Key Elements of SB 213
By Shawn Bubb, Director of Insurance Services
MTSBA and the MSGIA often collaborate to develop the MTSBA Innovation Symposium held in early December. This year, the Innovation Symposium will be on Tuesday, December 4th (full day), and a half day will take place on Wednesday, December 5th. On Monday night of that week, the MSGIA will be hosting a Monday Night Football watch party on the fourth floor of the MTSBA/MSGIA building in Helena at 863 Great Northern Blvd. The Cincinnati Bengals will be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the game starting at 6:15 p.m. The MSGIA will be providing a range of beverage options and football-style fare for dinner and dessert for all the conference participants in town that evening.
The Keynote speaker for the Symposium will be Jason Russell, President and CEO of Secure Educational Consultants (SEC). Jason will be leading our members through the various aspects of the recently passed Senate Bill 213. The bill emphasizes that districts need to prepare for threats of damage, injury, or loss of life or property from hazards existing within the boundaries of each local school district. The bill highlights a district’s need to update the school safety plan at least annually and, as part of that due diligence, to conduct drills regularly during the school year.
Of note, the bill requires the school safety plan to include the following threat-assessment practices: a) the adoption of a threat-assessment protocol and b) the inclusion of a threat-assessment team that may include behavioral-threat assessments addressing students requiring academic and/or behavioral support.
Jason and his colleagues at SEC work throughout the year with school districts across the U.S. on all these aspects. He will walk through strategies Montana school districts can use not only to ensure compliance with the new Montana law but also to help integrate school-risk management best practices into the procedures that districts follow each day. On the second day, MTSBA legal staff will present innovation strategies school districts can utilize to leverage operational and legislative efficiencies to streamline school district operations.
This conference in Helena will be impactful for those on your administrative team responsible for working on your school's operational plans impacted by the newly passed SB213. We look forward to seeing everyone either in Helena or on Zoom.
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