A. Each public school principal or school leader shall have written policies and procedures developed jointly with local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials, that address the immediate response to emergency situations that may develop in the schools and comply with the requirements in R.S. 17:416.16. The principal or school leader shall:

1. submit the crisis management and response plan to the local superintendent for approval;
2. annually review and possibly revise the crisis management and response plan: a. when conducting the annual review of the crisis management and response plan for a high school, the school principal shall seek and consider input from the students enrolled in the school who shall be represented by either the president of the senior class or the president of the student council and at least one other responsible student selected by the principal; and
3. within 30 days of each school year, conduct a safety drill to rehearse the plan. B. The school shall maintain and use contingency plans for immediate responses to emergency situations. C. The school shall establish and use procedures for reporting accidents to parents and/or the central office. D. In the absence of a principal or school leader, another individual(s) at the school shall be delegated the necessary authority to use emergency procedures. E. Procedures for the cancellation of school shall be established, communicated to students, teachers, and parents, and followed when necessary. F. The school shall establish procedures for special calls to police, fire departments, and hospitals, and practice drills shall be used to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure. G. The school shall establish procedures for the evacuation of the building in the event of fire, severe weather conditions, or bomb threats. Practice drills shall be used to ensure the effectiveness of the procedure. H. The school will establish procedures that detail the roles and responsibilities of each school employee and the relevant coordination agreements, services, and security measures of a school and provide for parent for parental notification in the event of a shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation. I. The governing authority of each public school will, as part of its school crisis management plan, develop resources, policies, procedures, and guidelines to address the potential of violence and terrorism in the schools under its jurisdiction. J. The local superintendent or chief charter school officer may dismiss any or all schools due to emergency situations, including any actual or imminent threat to public health or safety which may result in loss of life, disease, or injury; an actual or imminent threat of natural disaster, force majeure, or catastrophe which may result in loss of life, injury or damage to property; and, when an emergency situation has been declared by the governor, the state health officer, or the governing authority of the school.

A. (1) For the purposes of this Section, a “crisis management and response plan” means a plan to address school safety and the incidence of a shooting or other violence at schools, on school buses, and at school-related activities; to respond effectively to such incidents; and to ensure that every student, teacher, and school employee has access to a safe, secure, and orderly school that is conducive to learning. Such plans shall also address the management of any other emergency situation. (2) A school crisis management and response plan shall be prepared by each public school principal jointly with local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials. In preparing the plan, the principal and such officials shall consider and include, if appropriate, input from students enrolled in the school and their parents, teachers at the school, other school employees, and community leaders. (3) The plan, which shall focus on preventing the loss of life and the injury of students and teachers and other school employees, shall detail the roles and responsibilities of each school employee and the relevant coordination agreements, services, and security measures of a school and provide for parental notification in the event of a shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation. (4) The plan may provide for the counseling of students by mental health professionals in the event of a shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation, encouraging peer helper programs, and identifying students who may have experienced rejection or other traumatic life events. B. (1) Each public school principal, jointly with local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials, shall review the plan at least once annually and shall revise the plan as necessary. In reviewing and revising the plan, the principal and such officials shall consider and include input, if appropriate, from students enrolled in the school and their parents, teachers at the school, other school employees, and community leaders. Each principal shall submit such plan in writing to the local school superintendent for approval at least once annually, including upon each revision. (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, when conducting the annual review of the crisis management and response plan for a high school, the school principal shall seek and consider input from the students enrolled in the school who shall be represented by either the president of the senior class or the president of the student council and at least one other responsible student selected by the principal. (3) The superintendent shall make an annual report to the public school governing authority on the status of the plan of each school under the governing authority’s jurisdiction. C. (1) Within the first thirty days of each school year, each public school principal shall conduct a safety drill to rehearse the components of the plan. Not later than seven days after the drill, the principal shall submit a written report summarizing the details of the drill to the local superintendent. The superintendent may comment on the drill to the principal, who may consider such comments in revising the plan. (2) Each public school principal shall notify all teachers and other school employees regarding revisions made to the plan. D. Each plan shall provide that classroom doors with locks that are in compliance with all fire safety Standard promulgated by the office of state fire marshal code enforcement and building safety of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall remain locked during instructional time. Each plan shall provide that a locked door shall not obstruct egress. E. If a school has a resource officer as authorized in R.S. 17:416.19 or a Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor, he shall join the principal and local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials in preparing the plan and participate in any review or revision of the plan. F. Each school year, each public school principal shall be responsible for providing in-service training, which may be incorporated into a meeting or training session held for another purpose, for all teachers and school employees pertaining to the plan and may involve local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials in the preparation and presentation of the training. G. Each public school principal shall keep a copy of the approved plan in his office and shall provide a copy to the following individuals, each of whom shall be responsible for keeping in his respective office a copy of the plan that is readily accessible in the event of a school shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation: (1) The president of the local school board. (2) The local school superintendent. (3) The chief of police of the municipality or the sheriff of the parish where the school is located, as applicable, as well as the local fire chief whose office is in closest geographic proximity to the school. H. For the purposes of this Section, for a charter school, the “local superintendent” shall mean the chief executive officer of the school or other employee holding an equivalent position. I. (1) The governing authority of each public elementary and secondary school may adopt rules and regulations as it deems necessary to provide for the implementation of the provisions of this Section. (2) The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, in consultation with the Nonpublic School Commission, shall adopt rules and regulations requiring the governing authorities of nonpublic schools to address school safety. These rules and regulations shall address management and response in the event of a shooting or other violent incident on school campuses, school buses, and at school-related activities and shall provide for a safe, secure, and orderly school that is conducive to learning for every student, teacher, and school employee. These rules and regulations may also address management and response in the event of any other emergency situation.

Louisiana mandates that all elementary and secondary public schools prepare, maintain and exercise a crisis management and response plan to help ensure every student, teacher and school employee is in a safe and secure facility and prepared to respond in the event of an emergency or disaster incident.