Making schools less safe, Trump administration shuts down school safety board
WASHINGTON — Today, GIFFORDS, the national gun violence prevention organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, condemned the Trump administration’s decision to shut down the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse External Advisory Board.
As Education Week reported, “The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse, an interagency effort housed in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, was created by President Donald Trump’s first administration after the Parkland shooting to share resources and best practices related to school safety. Parkland victims’ families, who rushed to advocacy work after the tragedy, pushed for its creation after they grew concerned that research on school safety was confusing for educators and the public to navigate. The clearinghouse was codified into law as part of the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which also mandated the creation of the external advisory board.”
“Dismantling the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse’s advisory board is a betrayal of Parkland victims’ families and their tireless advocacy. This board was created during Trump’s first administration after 17 students and staff died, and it represented a moment of bipartisan cooperation to address school violence, providing critical research and guidance to protect American children. By disbanding this crucial resource, the new Trump administration is choosing the gun lobby’s will over student safety. It is shameful,” said GIFFORDS Executive Director Emma Brown.
According to the K–12 School Shooting Database there were 330 shootings at schools in 2024.
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