Youth Development/Afterschool/Violence-Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Prevention
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OCR Page 1 of 62DRAFT
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General McCaffery
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President Clinton: Making Our Schools Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free
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April 26, 1999
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The President will propose new initiatives to expand mental health counseling for
troubled students, provide parents with notification when a firearm is brought to school, promote
gun safety and education in schools, and allow more education funds to be spent on alternative
schools, character education, and other programs. These proposals will be included in the
Administration's proposal to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Assistance
Act (ESEA), which will be transmitted to Congress next week. Specifically, the President will
ask Congress to:
Fund 1,000 more counselors to work with troubled youth. There is a growing sense
in our communities that there simply are not enough counselors in our schools to help
identify troubled youth and refer them to critical assessment and counseling services.
The President will propose a new $35 million program to help schools hire up to 1,000
new counselors. These counselors will help connect troubled and alienated youth with
the services, support and counseling they need to cope with their problems before more
serious problems take hold. Funds will also be available to develop innovative programs
to reach out to these youth, such as through support hot lines for students to call in, speak
to an adult, and seek help.
Require counseling for gun-toting students. Under current law, schools are generally
required to expel any student who brings a gun or explosive device to school, as well as
to report that student to local law enforcement officials and juvenile justice authorities.
During the 1996-97 school year, this national policy of "zero tolerance" for guns resulted
in more than 6,000 students being expelled from school. Under the President's new
proposal, schools will now also be required to refer every student who brings a gun on to
campus to a mental health professional for assessment. If the student is determined to
pose an imminent threat to himself or others, he will be required to receive appropriate
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treatment before being permitted to return to school.
propesal Wyden
Mandate parental notification. will require school authorities to notify
all parents whenever a student is caught bringing a firearm to school. Although some
schools do notify parents when gun-related incidents take place, this is not required under
current law.
Safe Free
Support gun education and prevention. Although the current Safe and Drug-Free
Schools and Communities Program (SDFSC) funds a broad range of drug and violence
Drug schools
prevention programs, gun education and safety programs are generally not funded. The
President's new initiative will allow funding for proven gun education and prevention
programs, such as Straight Talk About Risks (STAR). STAR specifically educates
children about the risks associated with handling guns and enables these children to make
safe choices and avoid injuries.
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