Support School Safety – Prevent Harmful Objects and Substances in American Schools
Support School Safety – Prevent Harmful Objects and Substances in American Schools
The Issue
Every student, teacher, and staff member in U.S. schools is impacted by this issue. We assume schools are safe, but the reality is, they’re not as secure as they should be. Last year at my own school in Florida (LOLHS), an envelope with suspicious white powder was found. The whole building had to evacuate. Thankfully no one was harmed, but this exposed how little we are screening what comes into schools.
In 2023 alone, over 4,600 weapons were confiscated in U.S. schools. At an airport, you and your bag get scanned before you can even get near a plane. But at most schools, there is nothing, which leads to risk. Schools are an important place for young people like me to learn, and risking their safety risks the whole future of America.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported over 350 incidents of suspicious substances sent to schools in just five years. Meanwhile, only about 10-13% of schools even use metal detectors regularly. In New York City, when they implemented scanners, weapon incidents dropped by 64%. Volusia County in Florida is testing scanners that can process 2,000 people per hour (which solves the issue of scanning too much). Therefore, scanning works — we just need to use it in more schools.
Now is the time to act because this problem isn’t going away. Schools are growing. More packages are coming in. More students mean more risk if we keep relying on outdated, bare-minimum safety checks. We trust scanners and screening to keep us safe in airports and stadiums; schools are the next step.
We need schools to start using metal detectors and scanners at main entrances. Mail and packages should be screened before they ever hit classrooms. Staff need proper training so they know what to look for. We need clear national safety guidelines so every school is on the same page, and we need local law enforcement involved like school corporals that I have at my own school. If we can screen millions of people to get on a plane, we can definitely do it to protect young people and teachers.
Member of The Peace Warrior's Global Youth Program (GYP-2025)
11
The Issue
Every student, teacher, and staff member in U.S. schools is impacted by this issue. We assume schools are safe, but the reality is, they’re not as secure as they should be. Last year at my own school in Florida (LOLHS), an envelope with suspicious white powder was found. The whole building had to evacuate. Thankfully no one was harmed, but this exposed how little we are screening what comes into schools.
In 2023 alone, over 4,600 weapons were confiscated in U.S. schools. At an airport, you and your bag get scanned before you can even get near a plane. But at most schools, there is nothing, which leads to risk. Schools are an important place for young people like me to learn, and risking their safety risks the whole future of America.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported over 350 incidents of suspicious substances sent to schools in just five years. Meanwhile, only about 10-13% of schools even use metal detectors regularly. In New York City, when they implemented scanners, weapon incidents dropped by 64%. Volusia County in Florida is testing scanners that can process 2,000 people per hour (which solves the issue of scanning too much). Therefore, scanning works — we just need to use it in more schools.
Now is the time to act because this problem isn’t going away. Schools are growing. More packages are coming in. More students mean more risk if we keep relying on outdated, bare-minimum safety checks. We trust scanners and screening to keep us safe in airports and stadiums; schools are the next step.
We need schools to start using metal detectors and scanners at main entrances. Mail and packages should be screened before they ever hit classrooms. Staff need proper training so they know what to look for. We need clear national safety guidelines so every school is on the same page, and we need local law enforcement involved like school corporals that I have at my own school. If we can screen millions of people to get on a plane, we can definitely do it to protect young people and teachers.
Member of The Peace Warrior's Global Youth Program (GYP-2025)
11
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Petition created on June 9, 2025