Key points:
School safety is a priority for educators, district administrators, parents, and students, making safety technology solutions essential for protecting school environments and the people within them during significant and more minor incidents.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, during the 2021–22 school year, more than 1 million incidents were recorded by public schools, roughly 857,500 of which were violent incidents.
As school districts prepare for the 2025-2026 school year budgeting period, how they approach and implement safety plans requires a strategic and proactive effort that cannot be taken lightly. No matter the size of the district, it’s critical that safety operation plans and protocols are up to date, standardized, and meet the needs of the community.
School safety impacts teacher retention
School safety translates to teacher satisfaction and retention. While teachers should be able to be fully focused on educating their students, a national survey found that 80% of teachers think of their own physical safety when at work, and 45% have considered leaving or have left their jobs due to feeling unsafe. According to the Learning Policy Institute, on average, larger school districts can spend close to $25,000 to replace a single teacher–a budget-breaking number when retention is low.
It’s important that teachers feel heard when defining, implementing, and practicing safety plans and protocols. Training is also important. With training, teachers can better manage incidents or emergencies that may arise. In fact, 48 percent of educators say that their ability to get immediate help from administrators, nurses, school resource officers (SROs), or emergency specialists is the most important determinant of a positive outcome when an incident arises.
While critical for every school, and particularly in larger districts, the adoption of emergency operations plans (EOPs) and safety protocols, such as the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) or the Incident Command System (ICS), is critical. With these standardized responses, teachers and administrators not only feel prepared in the event of an emergency but have the confidence of knowing that across all school locations, protocols are the same and emergency responders are prepared.
Safety measures can directly impact student achievement
Nearly 85 percent of educators believe that school safety directly impacts student achievement.
The National Center for Education Statistics found that during the 2020–21 school year, 32 percent of public school teachers reported disruptive student behavior and 37 percent noted that tardiness and skipping class interfered with instructional time. Additionally, in a poll of American Federation of Teachers members, 19 percent of teachers reported two to three hours of lost instructional time every week and 17 percent reported four or more hours of lost time a week due to students’ disruptive behavior.
In short, behavior disruptions add up to more than three weeks of school, which can have a profound effect on students’ ability to meet the basic requirements of their curriculum, never mind exceed those requirements.
With the implementation of strong safety measures, teachers reduce the time needed to address incidents and focus their efforts on teaching.
What should districts look for as budget conversations progress?
For the upcoming school year, districts should carefully consider how their teachers feel and how safety procedures are amplified and communicated. The combination of robust safety plans and proven safety solutions can bolster teacher confidence, satisfaction, and retention–all of which are important to a district’s bottom line.
Grants can help school districts mitigate the costs of implementing robust safety technologies. District and school leaders should be aware of the options available, including examples and best practices from other districts, and identify key considerations, such as campus coverage, accessibility, and other requirements.
By understanding their options for safety and support, and listening to input from teachers, staff, parents, and students, districts can make informed decisions and invest in tools that will have a positive impact and show a true return on investment.
