School Security Planning: What Keeps School Leaders Up at Night

After leaving the Boston Police Department, I embarked on a new journey as the Director of Campus Safety and Transportation at an independent school for elementary and middle school children. My initial task was to assess the school's safety systems thoroughly. Interviewing department heads, school leadership, and any teacher willing to meet with the new "security guy," I always asked: What keeps you up at night? This seemingly simple question often led to profound and unexpected responses.

As a school leader, you must wear many hats—educator, administrator, community liaison, and visionary. However, one role often feels like it comes with the heaviest burden: protector. In an era where school safety has become an increasingly pressing concern, principals, heads of schools, superintendents, board chairs, and district leaders often ask the same question late at night: "Are we adequately prepared for a crisis?" Unfortunately, for many school communities, the honest answer is no.

The Dangerous Comfort of "It Won't Happen Here"

One of school culture's most pervasive—and perilous—elements is the belief that tragedy happens elsewhere. "It won't happen here" is echoed nationwide in quiet staff rooms and school board meetings. It's human nature to seek comfort in denial, especially in close-knit communities where schools feel like sanctuaries. However, this mindset can delay crucial conversations and prevent proactive planning. Complacency, not chaos, is often the real threat.

No school is immune to emergencies, whether they take the form of natural disasters, acts of violence, or infrastructure failures. The first step in truly effective security planning is shifting the culture from reactive to proactive, from "not here" to "what if—and what now?"

Security Planning: A Non-Native Skill Set

Security and emergency planning require a particular technical skill set that most educators are not trained in. While school leaders are experts in pedagogy and student development, they are rarely prepared for the intricacies of risk assessment, incident response, or technology integration for security purposes.

This knowledge gap is not a failure of leadership—it's a gap in professional development and support systems. Too often, safety planning responsibility is added to overflowing plates with minimal guidance. School leaders are expected to coordinate drills, update emergency plans, assess building vulnerabilities, and implement new technologies without the benefit of formal training in any of these areas.

To truly empower school leadership, districts, and policymakers must prioritize partnerships with security professionals and provide sustained training opportunities. Safety cannot be left to intuition; expertise must inform it.

Buying Technology Without a Plan

In the rush to "do something," many schools turn to technology or physical facility enhancements. Surveillance cameras, metal detectors, access control systems, panic buttons, bulletproof glass—the market for school security tools is vast and growing. But throwing money at solutions without a cohesive strategy often leads to ineffective or underutilized investments.

Technology can and should play a role in school safety, but only as part of a larger, well-thought-out plan. Purchasing decisions should be informed by a thorough assessment of the school's specific needs, infrastructure, and culture. More importantly, there must be a plan for training staff, maintaining systems, and integrating these tools into day-to-day operations and emergency protocols.

Investing in technology without planning is like buying a fire extinguisher without learning how to use it, never maintaining it, and hoping it works when needed.

Building a Culture of Readiness

What can school leaders do to sleep a little easier?

1. Start the conversation: Shift the culture away from denial. Make safety a regular topic at staff meetings, board sessions, and parent forums.

2. Assess and plan: Conduct professional security assessments with board-certified security professionals and develop customized, scalable safety plans.

3. Train and empower: Provide staff with regular, realistic training. Focus on communication, coordination, and crisis response.

4. Think beyond tech: Invest in people, planning, and practice, not just products.

Most of all, remember leadership doesn't mean having all the answers. It means asking the right questions, seeking the right help, and being willing to lead the charge when no one else will.

Because what keeps you up at night—the safety and well-being of your students and staff—makes you the kind of leader schools need today.

Take the First Step Today

If you haven't reviewed your school's emergency operations plan in the last 12 months, prioritize it this week. Schedule time with your leadership team to discuss vulnerabilities, contact a certified security consultant, or begin researching training programs available in your region.

Don't wait for a crisis to test your preparation.

Lead with foresight. Plan with purpose. Protect what matters most.

Andre Watson is an ASIS International board-certified security professional who owns Secure Response Strategies. His security consulting firm specializes in crisis response planning, security assessments, and training program development.