Montana Safe School Center urges statewide clearinghouse, tipline expansion and threat‑assessment tools in HJ 53 briefing
March 16, 2026 | 2026 Legislature MT, Montana
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The Education Interim Committee heard a multi‑state briefing on school safety and a detailed report on HJ 53 survey results from the Montana Safe School Center.
Nancy Berg, executive director of the Montana Safe School Center, summarized the HJ 53 survey (232 responses representing 152 districts) and preliminary findings about school safety practices, gaps, and priorities. The center recommended creating a statewide clearinghouse to offer model policies, training and technical assistance; adopting a statewide tipline model (Safer Montana) where appropriate; designating threat‑assessment tools and requiring training for multidisciplinary teams; funding site assessments at least every three years; and promoting standard response protocols and reunification methods.
Out‑of‑state guests described model elements. Christine Harms, director of the Colorado Office of School Safety, said Colorado offers a suite of free tools — a Safe2Tell tip line (averaging more than 30,000 calls per year), a threat‑assessment protocol (CTAM) and an online case management system for threat and suicide risk assessments — and reported a statistically significant reduction in youth suicide where their programs and threat assessments have been implemented. Harms said Colorado uses some recreational marijuana tax revenue for school safety grants.
Rhett Larson, coordinator of the Utah School Safety Center, reviewed Utah's recent laws and programs: a statewide Safe UT app, statewide threat assessment guidelines (CSTAG), a school security specialist stipend ($3,000 per school), standard response protocols, and statewide coordination overseen by a state security chief. He said implementation challenges include timing, communication and funding and stressed the need to explain the rationale for requirements to local districts.
Montana Safe School Center presenters provided survey statistics and examples of impact: only about 37 percent of reporting schools have exterior doors numbered and 38 percent have double‑locking vestibules; almost 50 percent of respondents said they had not conducted a comprehensive outside site assessment in the past three years; only about half of respondents reported training with local first responders; nearly 50 percent reported no multidisciplinary threat‑assessment team; and many schools lack formal MOUs with SROs. The center reported Safer Montana tipline participation — 16 districts and 83 schools so far — and cited recent tips that led to interventions. The Center said its current contracted annual cost for Safer Montana is $183,000.
Committee members and public commenters emphasized funding constraints and potential unintended consequences. Rob Watson (School Administrators in Montana) urged legislators to weigh costs in drafting bills; Grace Decker (Montana Advocates for Children Coalition) asked that expansion of public pre‑K not undermine private child care providers. The Center asked for committee direction to draft one comprehensive bill for June that would consolidate recommendations that refine existing statutes and provide state supports and targeted funding.
No formal vote was taken; staff said they would draft potential language and return to the committee in June.
Nancy Berg, executive director of the Montana Safe School Center, summarized the HJ 53 survey (232 responses representing 152 districts) and preliminary findings about school safety practices, gaps, and priorities. The center recommended creating a statewide clearinghouse to offer model policies, training and technical assistance; adopting a statewide tipline model (Safer Montana) where appropriate; designating threat‑assessment tools and requiring training for multidisciplinary teams; funding site assessments at least every three years; and promoting standard response protocols and reunification methods.
Out‑of‑state guests described model elements. Christine Harms, director of the Colorado Office of School Safety, said Colorado offers a suite of free tools — a Safe2Tell tip line (averaging more than 30,000 calls per year), a threat‑assessment protocol (CTAM) and an online case management system for threat and suicide risk assessments — and reported a statistically significant reduction in youth suicide where their programs and threat assessments have been implemented. Harms said Colorado uses some recreational marijuana tax revenue for school safety grants.
Rhett Larson, coordinator of the Utah School Safety Center, reviewed Utah's recent laws and programs: a statewide Safe UT app, statewide threat assessment guidelines (CSTAG), a school security specialist stipend ($3,000 per school), standard response protocols, and statewide coordination overseen by a state security chief. He said implementation challenges include timing, communication and funding and stressed the need to explain the rationale for requirements to local districts.
Montana Safe School Center presenters provided survey statistics and examples of impact: only about 37 percent of reporting schools have exterior doors numbered and 38 percent have double‑locking vestibules; almost 50 percent of respondents said they had not conducted a comprehensive outside site assessment in the past three years; only about half of respondents reported training with local first responders; nearly 50 percent reported no multidisciplinary threat‑assessment team; and many schools lack formal MOUs with SROs. The center reported Safer Montana tipline participation — 16 districts and 83 schools so far — and cited recent tips that led to interventions. The Center said its current contracted annual cost for Safer Montana is $183,000.
Committee members and public commenters emphasized funding constraints and potential unintended consequences. Rob Watson (School Administrators in Montana) urged legislators to weigh costs in drafting bills; Grace Decker (Montana Advocates for Children Coalition) asked that expansion of public pre‑K not undermine private child care providers. The Center asked for committee direction to draft one comprehensive bill for June that would consolidate recommendations that refine existing statutes and provide state supports and targeted funding.
No formal vote was taken; staff said they would draft potential language and return to the committee in June.
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