SAVE Act

Safe Schools Against Violence in Education Act or the SAVE Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to require states to allow a student who is attending a public school that does not have a safe climate for academic achievement, or who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense while on school grounds, in a school bus, or on a school function, to transfer to a safe public school within the school district. (Currently, the school must be persistently dangerous and the offense must occur on school grounds.)

Requires the counseling or removal of offenders. Requires a state's determination that a school is unsafe to: (1) be based on verifiable data reported in a consistent and uniform manner; (2) result in ameliorative efforts by unsafe schools; and (3) be relayed to local educational agencies (LEAs) within 45 days before the start of a school year so that LEAs can relay such information to parents in a timely manner.

Amends the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities grant program to require LEAs to certify to states that the school truancy, violence, and drug and gun crime information they report is complete and accurate. Directs the Secretary of Education to publish a handbook providing guidance on specifically what incidents must be reported. Augments the information LEAs must provide states concerning students with guns to include school-related off-campus incidents and those that do not involve a student's expulsion. Requires LEAs to implement comprehensive school safety plans incorporating community input.

Directs the Secretary to fund schoolwide climate surveys of students, parents, and school personnel for use in creating collaborative plans for school improvement.

Gives funding priority to, and reserves program funding for, unsafe schools.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov