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School Safety Requirements

Safety requirements for schools help to ensure that everyone has a healthy learning experience. These requirements guarantee that schools have a working safety plan in place for both students and faculty in case of emergency. A school's safety protocols must meet guidelines set forth by the state and their local school board. They must also be carefully documented and kept on file at both the local and state school board offices for review by the public.

  1. Emergency Evacuation Plan

    • Every school must have an emergency evacuation plan in place in case of fire, tornado, earthquake or other natural disaster. A diagram showing the emergency exit plan should be placed in each classroom with the nearest exit highlighted for easy reference. Teachers should go over these protocols with students to make sure that they understand how to react in case of emergency. The school should test their emergency evacuation plan by performing regularly scheduled drills with students, faculty and local emergency services to make sure that response time is accurate and that everyone can be removed from the school quickly and safely.

    Alarm Systems

    • Each school should be equipped with an alarm system. While it is recommended that this be a full alarm system that links to local law enforcement and emergency services, it is required that there be a carbon monoxide alarm as well as a fire alarm that is hooked to a sprinkler system throughout the school. The fire alarm should be accessible in case of emergency throughout various points in the school building by activating an emergency switch. The alarm system should be audible and all students and faculty should be made aware of what sound the alarm makes in case of emergency.

    Safety Rules

    • Schools should have written and regularly enforced safety rules for both faculty and students. These should include rules regarding the possession of weapons or firearms on campus, fighting and possession of hazardous items, to name a few. Students should be made aware of any disciplinary action resulting from an infraction of the safety rules. Teachers should have written copies of safety rules available to distribute and go over with their students to ensure that everyone clearly understands what is expected by the school administration.

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