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School Safety

There is no more important institution to the future prosperity and strength of the United States than our nation’s K–12 education system.

Overview

In today’s environment, K-12 schools and school systems face an evolving and dynamic set of security risks and threats, ranging from acts of targeted violence to bomb threats to natural disasters. Schools also have unique needs, considerations, and challenges when it comes to safety and security. These factors can impact a school’s ability to carry out its educational obligations and provide a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment for students.  

CISA’s Role

CISA, along with other organizations throughout government, law enforcement, and communities nationwide, supports K-12 schools and districts in their efforts to enhance school safety and security. CISA’s School Safety Task Force is the agency’s dedicated program established to strengthen schools’ safety and security across the country. CISA’s current and ongoing school safety efforts include the development of new programs and capacity-building products, training, and tools specific to strengthening protection and mitigation measures and capabilities at K-12 schools. 

CISA resources and programs are designed to help schools prevent, protect against, and mitigate security threats, risks, and emergency situations. CISA also recognizes that each school is unique and contends with an individual set of school safety needs, considerations, priorities, and challenges. School personnel can use these resources, programs, and tools to develop an actionable and comprehensive school safety plan tailored to their specific circumstances. 

Featured Content

K-12 Bystander Reporting Toolkit

This toolkit provides strategies K-12 institutions can use to implement and enhance safety reporting programs and encourage bystander reporting among students and school community members.

SchoolSafety.gov

This site provides a one-stop access point for information, resources, guidance, and evidence-based practices on a range of school safety topics and threats.

K-12 School Security Guide Product Suite

These products are designed to provide K-12 districts and campuses with resources, tools, and strategies to improve school physical security.

Related News

School Safety Email Updates

Sign up to receive email updates on school safety-related news, events, opportunities, and resources from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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Training

Explore CISA's school safety training opportunities.

K-12 School Security Guide Training Companion

COURSE | VIRTUAL/ONLINE
This training series is designed to help end users of the K-12 School Security Guide (3rd ed., 2022) develop a basic understanding of what physical security looks like in K-12 schools.

K-12 School Security Guide “Train the Trainer” Companion Course

COURSE | VIRTUAL/ONLINE
This video series is designed to provide an overview of the K-12 School Security Guide Product Suite.

School Safety Videos

CISA School Safety PSA

Services

Explore CISA’s portfolio of services available for K-12 schools.

Protective Security Advisor (PSA) Program

The PSA Program’s primary mission is to proactively engage with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government mission partners and members of the private sector stakeholder community to protect critical infrastructure.

CISA Tabletop Exercise Packages

INCREASE YOUR RESILIENCE
Contact: cisa.exercises@cisa.dhs.gov
CISA Tabletop Exercise Packages are a comprehensive set of resources designed to assist stakeholders in conducting their own exercises and initiating discussions within their organizations about their ability to address a variety of threat scenarios.
Foundational

Resources

Discover school safety publications and resources.

K-12 School Security Guide (3rd Edition) and School Security Assessment Tool

This guide provides a comprehensive doctrine and systems-based methodology to support schools in conducting vulnerability assessments and planning to implement layered physical security elements across K–12 districts and campuses.

Active Shooter Preparedness Resources

These trainings and resources focus on behavioral indicators, emergency action plan creation, actions to reduce consequences, and how to quickly recover from an incident.

SIMEX After Action Report

This report details the key findings and takeaways from the pilot School Security Simulation Experiment (SIMEX).

K-12 School Security Guide (2nd Edition) and School Security Survey

This guide provides preventive and protective measures of K-12 institutions to address the threat of gun violence in schools.

Partnering to Safeguard K-12 Organizations

Malicious cyber actors target K–12 organizations with potentially catastrophic impacts on students, their families, teachers, and administrators. This CISA report helps schools reduce the risks of a cyber catastrophe.

Contact Us

For questions or additional information, please contact SchoolSafety@hq.dhs.gov