On August 1, 2022, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law N.J.S.A. 18A:17-43.4, requiring the establishment of a multi-disciplinary threat assessment team in each public school, charter school, and renaissance school project. The purpose of a threat assessment team is to provide teachers, administrators, and other staff with assistance in identifying students with behaviors of concern, assessing those students’ risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities, and delivering intervention strategies to manage the risk of harm for students who pose a potential safety risk.

The law also requires the board of education of each school district and the board of trustees of each charter school or renaissance school project to develop and adopt a policy for the establishment of a multi-disciplinary threat assessment team at each school. Any policy developed by a school district, charter school or renaissance school project concerning the establishment of a multi-disciplinary threat assessment team must be aligned with the Guidance on the Establishment and Training of K-12 Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Teams (BTAM), developed by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) in consultation with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and State law enforcement agencies.

Click here for "Guidance on the Establishment of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management Teams (BTAM) " published by the NJDOE in 2023.  

If you have any questions related to this process, please contact your child's School Counselor or Principal or Mrs. Stephanie Snyder, the district Threat Assessment Coordinator.