EDITORIAL: Safety of children demands investment

In making the request last week, Holcomb made a salient point on existing funds within the program.

The program's current $9 million annual budget isn't keeping up with school security funding requests. Some $3.5 million in requests for heightened security measures, which can include safety equipment of the hiring of armed police as security, went unfunded this year.

The state's 289 public school districts and 80 charter schools compete for those dollars.

So increasing the amount of available funds by tapping into state reserves is a sound means to a necessary end.

The new funding request is being made when Indiana schools have seen an uptick in security threats, many of which are copycat threats following the Feb. 14 massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school.

We're glad Holcomb isn't stopping there.

The governor has directed the state homeland security and education departments to prepare additional school security recommendations by Aug. 1, and lawmakers are planning a summer legislative study committee to determine other steps the state can take.

State leaders are on the right track and need to follow through. The safety of our children requires significant investment.