Back-to-School Safety Readiness Assessment

A Practical Assessment for K-12 Leaders

Over the past five years, there have been more than 1,500 incidents of gun violence on school grounds, including cases where a firearm was discharged, brandished with intent to harm, or a bullet struck school property. Research also shows that many school shootings begin as the escalation of a dispute rather than a pre-planned attack.

Schools work diligently to reduce risk, prevent weapons from entering campus, and create an environment where students can focus on learning.

Whether you’re refining an existing security screening approach or launching something new, readiness comes down to one question:

If tomorrow were day one, would your plan actually work?

• Would students know where to go?
• Would staff know what to do when something happens?
• Would arrival feel smooth, or backed up?
• Would families understand what’s changing?

This playbook is designed to help you assess where you stand, and what to do next.