CISA Releases K-12 School Physical Security Guide for School Business Officials

The new resource helps school business officials support physical security planning and implementation initiatives in K-12 schools.
Published: September 23, 2024

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday released the K-12 School Security Guide Companion Product for School Business Officials, a new resource to help school business officials support physical security planning and implementation initiatives in K-12 schools and school districts.

School business officials can play multiple roles to build and maintain holistic physical security systems in schools. They are key actors in school safety resource allocation efforts and fundamental in the planning of financial, operational and technical upgrades that may take place in K-12 schools or school districts. School business officials can also determine long-term maintenance and funding requirements as well as identify associated dependencies that will occur over a lifetime of school safety investments.

Related Article: School Shootings: Prevention, Response, Mitigation, and Recovery Resources

This new companion product uses guidance and best practices outlined in CISA’s existing K-12 School Security Guide to introduce key school physical security concepts and help school business officials make more informed and strategic decisions around the appropriateness and prioritization of physical security investments and improvements. It includes specific information on how school business officials can participate in the school security planning process, address core elements of a school’s security system and consider detection, delay and response strategies at specific layers of a school campus. The companion product also explains how school business officials can use resources such as the School Security Assessment Tool and SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool to assess vulnerabilities across a K-12 campus and identify funding opportunities to support physical security planning efforts.

The new product is a companion to CISA’s broader K-12 School Security Guide Product Suite. Resources in the suite are designed to support school communities in strengthening their protection and mitigation capabilities against the range of targeted violence and crime-related threats they might face.

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Learn more and download the new companion product. For more information, please visit cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/k-12-school-security-guide-companion-product-school-business-officials.

Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series
Strategy & Planning Series