A list of recommendations aimed at improving school safety in Utah, including on-campus mental-health professionals and the retrofitting of aging buildings to restrict access, could cost the state nearly $100 million in its first year, according to numbers provided to lawmakers on Wednesday.
The recommendations, similar to the recent findings of the Utah School Safety Commission, were presented to members of the Education Interim Committee by State Superintendent Sydnee Dickson and Christy Walker, a safety specialist with the Utah Board of Education.
“There’s been a lot of mental-health concerns growing in our communities and our schools,” Walker said.