The State of Illinois has passed down another mandate to Illinois schools, this time centered around preventing school violence.

Mt. Pulaski Schools Superintendent Fred Lamkey says the State is asking them to collaborate locally to reach students who may be struggling and get them help before they snowball to turning to violence.

According to Lamkey, building relationships with students is one of the best things they can do for them to set them up for success. Educators will go through extensive training as a part of this measure and he indicates that will only help them in their efforts to reach students and build those relationships.

In the past, mandates have come down as a reactionary measure to safety issues in school but Lamkey feels this is a good mandate because it is being proactive in addressing the needs of their students.

In Mt. Pulaski, no additional staff would be required, instead, Lamkey indicates they'll further utilize existing support staff. Costs of mandates can often hamper districts but he says the training of their staff is likely the extent of the costs of his district but notes other districts' costs could vary depending on how in-depth they want to get with their plans.