A season marked by family vacations and trips to the beach has given way to backpacks and a return to the classroom. Now, enduring concerns over the safety and well-being of students and school staff alike are at the forefront of American physical security concerns.
U.S.-based nonprofit Sandy Hook Promise reports that, each day, 12 children will die from gun violence in the country, with another 32 shot and injured. They add that since the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, a horrifically high number of students — over 338,000 —nationwide have experienced some form of gun violence while in school.
These bleak statistics put security front and center in the minds of administrators and school security personnel across the country. The National Institute of Justice reveals that almost 100% of all schools that serve students 12 to 18 years old “use at least one safety and security measure” on campus. They report that more than 90% of schools have safety protocols like visitor sign-in procedures and nearly 80% possess security cameras and locked doors as essential safety requirements.
One issue that plagues some school systems — especially those that have been historically underfunded — is the reality that not every building is outfitted with the proper physical security systems to best address every contemporary threat.
Pennsylvania might be offering a template for a path forward. Facilities Management Advisor reports on how the Keystone State has made it possible for schools to apply for a total of $120 million in grant support to better bolster both physical security and “behavioral health support. This was made possible by way of the state’s School Safety and Security Committee, a part of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD).
The grant funding falls under the auspices of the state’s 2024-2025 budget.
“Our kids can’t focus on learning if we aren’t meeting the basic need for safety within the walls of their schools and making sure students are in a positive mental and emotional space,” said Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, chair of PCCD and the School Safety and Security Committee, in a quote reported by Facilities Management Advisor.
This kind of commitment to physical security across the state’s schools stands as something of a beacon for others across the country to better prioritize upgrades, improvements, and training throughout campuses nationwide. This is absolutely crucial in order to better address threats students, teachers, and staff face daily. If more states follow suit, the nation’s schools can better stand as beacons of safety and security.