SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Utah is taking steps to enhance transparency regarding school safety by developing a state school safety dashboard.
The initiative, spearheaded by Utah’s School Safety Taskforce, aims to provide the public with detailed information on incidents such as bullying, harassment, and violence at local schools.
Earlier this year, the task force allocated funds to create this safety information website.
During a recent meeting on June 16, members discussed the potential design and functionality of the dashboard, drawing inspiration from a similar platform in Florida.
Max Schachter, whose son Alex was tragically killed in the Parkland school shooting, played a pivotal role in developing Florida’s website.
Schachter emphasized the importance of accessible data, saying, “Parents have a right to know what’s happening in their schools. And currently, in most of the country, the data is buried in the Department of Education website, and it’s in a spreadsheet where they don’t have access, and it’s very confusing. Every school district, in my opinion, should have its data be transparent on their website.”
The Utah School Safety Taskforce has approved $1.5 million to match funds from the State Board of Education to initiate the creation of the school safety dashboard.
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