New School Safety Law Requires Schools To Monitor Doors At Events

As basketball season begins at Upper Cumberland schools, a new state law enforces strict guidelines on school-sponsored events held on school grounds after hours.

The law said an employee has to be present at whatever entrance is made available to guests in order to limit door access. The law also specifies that all other doors should be locked. Cookeville High School Athletic Director Adam Kefauver said the law has served as a refresher but that the school already had most of its procedures in place.

“The biggest change, if there’s any change for after-school events is just I feel like education,” Kefauver said. “I think we’ve done a good just of trying to get information about this law out to players, athletes, coaches, even parents to help in the monitoring of doors.”

Failure to comply with this law could result in the withholding of TISA funds. Kefauver said that both athletic and non-athletic school-sponsored events held on school grounds must comply with the law.

“I feel like Putnam County has kind of been a little bit ahead of the game as far as security goes,” Kefauver said. “We have SROs, School Resources Officers, at every school.”

Kefauver said that he thinks everyone at Cookeville understands and supports the new law, feeling safer with it’s putting in place. Kefauver said that the state putting importance on safety is allowing everyone in the school to make sure they’re on the same page.