Education

An Eastern Kentucky lawmaker says the state needs to study whether it can put armed officers and metal detectors in all of Kentucky's 1,245 public schools in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings.

State Rep. Richard Henderson, D-Mount Sterling, said he will form a task force to look into the matter.

Last week, Jon Akers, director of the Kentucky Center for School Safety, which helps schools develop state-mandated safety plans, said there are 221 public schools in the state with on-site school resource officers.

A legislative review committee has approved the Kentucky Department of Education’s new restraint and seclusion policy proposal.

The changes would increase training and parent communication and allow restraint and seclusion of misbehaving students in cases of imminent threat.

Several superintendents testified this year against an earlier version of the proposal, saying it was too vague and didn’t do enough to protect teachers. The education department has since softened some language pertaining to when a teacher could act.

A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school Friday left 27 people dead, including 18 children, an official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way. Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said the gunman at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown was killed and apparently had two guns.

Stephen Delgiadice said his 8-year-old daughter heard two big bangs and teachers told her to get in a corner. His daughter was fine.

"It's alarming, especially in Newtown, Connecticut, which we always thought was the safest place in America," he said.