School districts planning new school buildings would have to include security measures in the designs, under legislation being considered in the Ohio House.

Rep. John Rogers, D-Mentor-On-The-Lake, said HB 446 would be another measure to help protect students, teachers and staff, said a report in the Alliance Review. 

The legislation outlines a variety of security features, including surveillance video, entryway metal detectors, panic buttons, and direct entrances and exits only accessible from inside classrooms.

New school buildings would have to have at least two such security features under HB 446, the report said.

"Schools would have final discretion over which features to include and would be encouraged to include more if they so choose," Rogers said. "One would hope that current school design and construction methods include this type of proactive planning. This legislation, I believe, would help ensure it."

 The Ohio Department of Education would be required to adopt specific rules for implementing the proposed law change, and the state's School Facilities Commission would be responsible for reviewing plans for compliance with the security requirements.