As a dad of six, I know the feeling of sending your child off to school — hoping they’re safe, learning, and protected. But that peace of mind is getting harder to come by in a world where fentanyl, human trafficking, and gang violence are no longer just big-city problems.
Zoom out: Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans my age all the way down to my daughters age, who just graduated from high school. At the same time, human trafficking is on the rise with an estimated 320 Iowans being trafficked at any given moment, many of them school-aged kids.
The warning signs are there, but too often, educators don’t have the training or resources to recognize them early enough to prevent tragedy. That’s why I’m taking action with new, bipartisan legislation to help teachers and school staff identify threats before it escalates.
The Safe Schools and Communities Act uses funding already available in our education system to:
✅ Train teachers to spot and report signs of human trafficking
✅ Launch age-appropriate fentanyl education and early intervention programs
✅ Prevent gang involvement by identifying at-risk students and connecting them with help
Bottom Line: Every child in Iowa deserves to feel safe at school. By empowering educators to talk about tough topics and spot the warning signs early, we can stop the next tragedy before it starts.