Active shooter drills are required in Iowa schools: What that means after Perry shooting

Editor's note: This story was originally reported in 2018 and has been updated.

Iowa law requires school districts have plans in place for a number of large scale events, including active shooters.

A 2018 Iowa law — approved shortly after 17 people were killed at a Parkland, Florida, high school — was designed to require school districts to regularly review emergency plans, and that staff and students are participating in trainings, including fire and tornado drills.

It is up to individual school boards to make sure mandatory trainings are carried out, said Heather Doe, Iowa Department of Education spokesperson.

That training came into play Thursday when a student shot six people in Perry High School before killing himself.

Why does Iowa require active shooter drills?

In 2018, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill that required school districts and accredited non-public schools to have "emergency operations planning for school buildings to cover a host of contingencies."

At the time the bill passed, fewer than 10% of Iowa emergency operation plans included active shooter training, according to Des Moines Register reporting at the time.

Does the state track whether students receive emergency training?

Each spring, the Iowa Department of Education collects "assurances" from schools that their emergency operation plans meet state requirements, Doe said.

The plans are required to include, but are not limited to, how schools would respond to active shooter scenarios, natural disasters, and that they have a way to alert students, staff and others to an issue at school, Doe said. Emergency drills must be done annually in each school building.

How many school shootings have occurred in Iowa?

The Iowa Department of Education does not track data on school shootings, but Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security's database of school shootings shows 17 school shootings have occurred in Iowa between 1970 and April 2022.

For Iowa, the database includes, most recently, the March 7, 2022, shooting outside East High School in Des Moines that left Jose Lopez-Perez, 15, dead and two teen girls injured. It also includes the 2018 shots fired near a Des Moines North and Hoover football game.

Since then, at least two more school-related shootings have occurred:

• In Jan. 23, 2023, 16-year-old Rashad Carr and 18-year-old Gionni Dameron were gunned down at the Starts Right Here alternative education program in downtown Des Moines, which is affiliated with Des Moines Public Schools.

• On Jan. 4, 2024, a multiple shooting was reported at Perry High School.

Related: 'We find hope': East High School students return to school following shooting

What does school-based active shooting training include in Iowa?

The trainings vary across Iowa districts and children's ages.

At Okoboji High School, staff and administrative teams do yearly exercises that include active shooter scenarios. The district also works with law enforcement and emergency personnel on the plans.

"There's some disagreement and some different philosophies on how much to do with kids," Okoboji Principal Brian Downing said in 2018. "And some of it comes with what age the kids are. I can speak a little more frankly with my high schoolers than I would maybe with elementary kids."

The students and teachers practice lockdowns in his school, Downing said. Teachers will lock the door from the inside, shut off the lights and get the students away from windows.

Families are notified about the lockdown drills ahead of time. The school does not run active shooter simulations with students.

"We would never, ever do that," he said. "I'm just opposed to that and that's putting trauma in a kid's world."

At the Waukee Community School District, secondary students and staff receive training on a yearly basis, Amy Varcoe, Waukee schools' spokesperson. Elementary staff receive training yearly and the families of elementary students are sent a video to watch. Families can decide whether the video is appropriate for their children.

How can I report school safety concerns?

The state's Safe+Sound app — released in March 2023 — allows students, teachers and families to anonymously report potential school threats.

The app can be downloaded from the Apple Store and Google Play.

Have school districts received any extra funds to address security?

Yes. In 2022, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that school district officials could apply for grants to put toward improving school security.

In all, Reynolds' earmarked $100 million in federal COVID-19 funding for the venture. As part of the process, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management experts toured school buildings to look for security vulnerabilities in districts where officials had applied for the grants.

Related: Kim Reynolds announces $100 million to prevent school shootings in Iowa

Once the assessments were completed, schools received a $50,000 grant to help cover necessary changes.

Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa schools are required to run active shooter training. How it works