Governor Phil Murphy has signed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senator Steven Oroho (R-24) that will permit school district superintendents to designate an experienced school employee as school safety specialist.

“Our foremost responsibility must be to ensure that children in New Jersey have a safe place to learn and grow,” Oroho said. “Now, more than ever, we must designate experienced and trained staff members who can take charge of school security, so that our schools do not fall victim to the same tragedies we have seen in other parts of the country. This law is critical to keeping our children and teachers safe from harm.”

A school district superintendent is required by law to designate a school administrator as a school safety specialist. The school safety specialist must complete the School Safety Specialist Certification Program developed by the New Jersey School Safety Specialist Academy in the Department of Education. The school safety specialist also serves as the school district liaison with local law enforcement and national, State, and community agencies and organizations in matters of school safety and security.

Senator Oroho’s legislation, S-2456, will allow New Jersey superintendents to increase the pool of potential people who can serve as a school security officer, by allowing superintendents to designate either a school administer, or a school employee who has experience in school safety and security, as the school safety specialist. Senator Oroho’s District 24 colleagues Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths were also cosponsors of the legislation.

“By widening opportunities for someone to serve as school security specialist, we can guarantee that New Jersey’s classrooms have the right resources to keep everyone who walks through the door safe,” Oroho said. “I am glad we could pass this with bipartisan support and I commend the Governor for signing this responsible, commonsense safety measure into law.”