Opinion: Want to keep schools safe? Hire more nurses

In an era punctuated by school shootings and ongoing debates about gun control and gun rights, America’s public schools continue to be riddled with safety concerns. According to the New York Times, “Since 2017, tens of millions have been spent by the federal government on mass shooter training, and states have spent even more.” 

The result of our culture’s focus on crisis management over prevention is more security staff in high schools than there are full-time registered nurses. And while on-site officers might make schools feel safer, school shootings remain rare, while about 40% of students have at least one chronic medical condition and worrying about their children’s mental health tops the list of parent concerns. Youth depression has practically doubled over the past decade. Even worse, 9% of 9th through 12th graders attempted suicide in 2023, reflecting our nationwide teen mental health crisis. 

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