Dive Brief:

• In the wake of numerous school shootings over the last two decades, districts nationwide have ramped up tech-based safety measures like portable panic buttons, cloud-based emergency systems, and automatic locks.
• For example, in Palm Beach, FL, teachers conduct lessons while carrying devices with panic buttons and microphones, with the panic buttons connected to the school’s front desk.
• At Ohio's Plain Local Schools, administrators use a system called NaviGate, which links camera feeds, emergency plans, and other crucial details so they don’t have to unearth that information in a crisis.

Dive Insight:

Although innovative technology measures have sprung up, some of the holes schools have to fill are far more basic. For example, some schools have made sure telephones can directly dial 911 without the extra digit typically needed to dial out. District Administration also reports that schools have thought about eliminating labeled parking spaces, as they indicate to would-be intruders whether school leaders are absent.

“While technology is very good, oftentimes a district is missing the very basic, simple, free things” Curt Lavarello, executive director of the School Safety Advocacy Council, told District Administration. That means examining the entire school system and school buildings for where gaps lie.