The National School Safety Center, state governors, and state school superintendents sponsor America’s Safe Schools Week annually in October.

School safety includes keeping campuses free of crime and violence, improving discipline, and increasing student attendance. Schools that are safe and free of violence, weapons, and drugs are necessary to ensure the well-being of all children and the quality of their education.

The most important strategy is to place school safety on the educational agenda. This includes developing a safe schools plan – an ongoing process that encompasses the development of district-wide crime prevention policies, in-service training, crisis preparation, interagency cooperation, and student/parent participation. These ideas are primary strategies to help inform, persuade, and integrate school safety and public opinion. These ideas will facilitate planning and the implementation of the remaining strategies.