In these increasingly violent times, school safety has become a major factor in designing school buildings and implementing procedures. A recent study by the National Center for Education Statistics reports that most schools require visitors to sign in at the office, prohibit students from leaving the campus, and maintain zero-tolerance policies toward serious student offenses (Kaufman et al., 1998).
As school administrators implement policies and procedures to ensure school safety, they must also consider legal issues. Historically, courts have tended to side with school districts in cases involving disciplinary actions. For example, to support the safety of all students, the courts have allowed the immediate suspension of students in Gross v. Lopez, 1975; student searches to determine possession of drugs in New Jersey v. T.L.O., 1985; and locker searches in Isiah B. v. State, 1993. However, recent case decisions have also set boundaries on the actions of school officials. For example, in Anable v. Ford, 1987; Odenheim v. Carlstadt–East Rutherford Regional School District, 1985; and Brooks v. East Chambers, 1989, the courts struck down urine testing for drugs as a condition for student participation in school and extracurricular activities (La Morte, 1996). Administrators need to be aware of school-related court decisions on all levels—federal, state, and local.
For this reason, it's vital that school administrators examine every aspect of school development—from the arrangement of classrooms, hallways, and common areas to the legal issues involved in creating student handbooks and implementing violence-prevention programs.
Real Buildings
The ideal school building would have few exterior access points, no dark or isolated hallways, and sunlight pouring into each classroom. In the real world, however, the average school administrator starts the first day on the job in a building that was built around World War II, cannot be drastically remodeled because of asbestos in the ceilings, and is a warren of hallways and cul-de-sacs. As a recent study by the American Association of School Administrators (Frazier, 1993) notes, 74 percent of all school buildings need to be repaired or rebuilt immediately, and another 12 percent are not suitable for learning activities.
Realizing the financial and legal limitations inherent in any renovation, some administrators sigh and shake their heads. Others work to achieve the most perfect school they can with the assets available.
Important Questions
In evaluating school safety measures, consider the following questions.
How close is the office area to the main access door? The close proximity of the office to the main door helps office personnel monitor visitors. Visitors should routinely sign in at the office and wear a visitor's badge. The main access door should be the only unlocked door during the school day. Administrators in high crime areas might want to also keep that door locked, with a buzzer system to permit entry.
Are the hallways safe? Ronald Stephens, in Safe Schools: A Handbook for Violence Prevention (1995), sees hallways as prime locations for conflict. Consider installing camera monitors in hallways or mandating that teachers supervise hallways between class periods. Schools should install mirrors to increase visibility for monitoring adjacent hallways.
It's important to remember that lockers are school property. If administrators inform all students that lockers are subject to school searches, they may search lockers when necessary. Backpacks, however, are the property of the student and, as such, are less accessible. Some schools have either banned backpacks or insisted that they be constructed of clear material.
What communications system is in place? The main office must be able to disseminate information promptly and simultaneously to all staff members. Staff members must also have ready access to the office. Schools can use current technology to enhance communication and to coordinate security procedures, such as automatically locking all exterior doors or monitoring closed-circuit television surveillance (Van Horn, 1998).
What traffic patterns are feasible? Obviously, the less congestion in the hallways, the better. Careful scheduling of classes can address the problem of crowded corridors. Stagger entrance and dismissal times for different grade levels, dismiss large classes five minutes earlier than regular-sized classes, and assign large classes to rooms near restrooms and schools offices. Teachers should consistently monitor hallways during class changes.
What lighting is in place? Adequate lighting is important for any learning environment, but high-problem areas, such as hallways, restrooms, and stairwells, need as much light as possible. Administrators should also pay attention to exterior lighting, particularly in parking lots and isolated areas.
Is the crisis-management plan up-to-date? John Dudley's When Grief Visits School: Organizing a Successful Response(1995) is an excellent resource for implementing a crisis-response plan. Your crisis team should have a procedure to notify staff members promptly if a situation occurs during nonschool hours. Along with updating staff home phone numbers, keep an updated list of phone numbers of community support persons and district officials.
Remember to conduct crisis-management drills just as you have fire and disaster drills. Select a hypothetical situation and then proceed with your crisis-management plan accordingly.
Do inservice programs enhance staff members' coping skills? Along with information on crisis-response procedures, give your staff the strategies for dealing with aggressive students or adults, for resolving conflicts peacefully, for managing stress, and for handling discipline problems.
Do school policies emphasize safety? A schoolwide dismissal policy is important for keeping track of students who leave school at any time during the day, as well as at the end of the day. When a student is absent, notify parents and guardians as quickly as possible. When school is canceled or dismissed early because of inclement weather, employ a standard policy for making the decision and for notifying parents.
At recess and on field trips, insist that at least one staff person carry a cellular phone and a first-aid kit. Also consider separating age levels on the playground and removing any playground equipment that has been the setting for numerous accidents.
Does the school curriculum address school-safety issues? Students need to learn conflict-management techniques, assertiveness skills, and safety procedures. Teachers should teach the school's discipline policy as part of the curriculum and send the policy home to be read and signed by students and parents (Latham, 1998; Wiebenson, 1998).
Does the school meet necessary legal requirements? Along with the standard building codes, fire codes, and OSHA regulations, you need to keep up-to-date on school law. Consistent and fair disciplinary procedures, sexual harassment prevention and reporting guidelines, personnel background checks, accident prevention, and health awareness issues—particularly those pertaining to blood-borne pathogens, such as HIV—are just a few areas that schools need to address.
Is the community part of the school-safety plan? Advise parents about safety procedures and disciplinary policies. Consider setting up a school Web site to update parents. Develop a parents' resource center with audiovisual materials on parenting, discipline, and latchkey-kid issues.
Spend time in the community and develop a relationship with area businesspeople. Neighborhood leaders can inform the school about unusual incidents in the area and might also be willing to provide a place for students to assemble in the event of a school crisis, such as a building fire or a bomb threat.
Ensuring Safety
Probably the most important factor in any school safety plan is the visibility of staff members, especially administrators. As difficult as it is to get away from the phone and reports, administrators must take frequent walks around the school building and its perimeter. Their presence tells students, staff, and parents—better than any newsletter article or report could—that they value school safety.
