$996 million requested for fight against school violence

WASHINGTON -- Describing school violence as a national emergency that must be immediately addressed by Congress, a group of Democratic senators proposed a $996 million emergency spending bill this morning to help pay for school violence prevention programs.

The senators emergency funding plan is in response to the Littleton, Colo., school massacre where 12 students and one teacher were gunned down by two of their classmates last month and the rise of other violent acts committed at schools in recent years.

The funding would help pay for personnel and programs ranging from hiring more middle school violence prevention coordinators to purchasing additional metal detectors. No new programs would be created.

"This is an emergency if anything has ever been declared an emergency," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said at a Capitol Hill news conference.

The proposal has the backing of 12 senators and more are expected to endorse it today, Reid said. The senators delivered a letter to Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.V., the chairman and ranking member of Senate Appropriations Committee respectively, asking them to endorse their request. The Appropriations committee is expected to review the plan next week.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., said Congress must address school violence the same way it is appropriating emergency funds to pay for the Yugoslavia conflict. Thursday, the House easily approved a $13.1 billion emergency spending bill by a vote of 311 to 105. The spending bill more than doubled what President Clinton had asked Congress to approve.

"If we consider an emergency appropriations bill without addressing safety in schools we would have missed the mark," Durbin said. "Congress would have been totally disconnected about what American families are worried about at this moment."

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said anything that can be done to stem the threat of school violence is worth pursuing.

"I think it is important we have as many resources as possible to combat the violence in our schools," Bryan said.

The bill would increase funding by:

-- $185 million for counseling, mentoring and mental health services for students. The maximum recommended ratio of counselors to students is one counselor for every 250 students. Currently, the ratio in Nevada is one counselor for every 525 students.

-- $80 million to purchase metal detectors and other security equipment and the creation of tiplines and hotlines.

-- $65 million for the hiring of more than 1,600 additional middle school violence prevention coordinators. The program is currently funded at $35 million.

-- $12 million to help pay for rapid response teams and counseling programs when an act of violence occurs at a school.

-- $88 million to hire more school police officers.

-- $200 million for the creation of additional after-school programs.

-- $360 million for the creation of comprehensive school violence prevention and planning efforts.

-- $6 million to help communities begin planning a comprehensive response for violence prevention with an emphasis on mental health issues.

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