School Safety

Education news, analysis, and opinion about keeping students safe in the school building from bullying, violence, and environmental hazards, among other things

Explainer

Greeley Police Officer Steve Brown stands in the hallway during passing periods at Northridge High School in Greeley, Colo. on Oct. 21, 2016. While school resource officers, like Brown, are expected to handle responsibilities like any police officer they're faced with unique challenges working day-to-day in schools
School Resource Officers (SROs), Explained
Does the presence of armed officers prevent school violence? Do they contribute for Black children to the 'school to prison pipeline'?
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The Jackson Police Department responded to a hoax threat to the Middle School at Parkside on May 8, 2025. Investigators determined the call to be a prank, just like a similar call made to the school a day prior.
The police department in Jackson, Mich., responded to a "swatting" incident directed at the city's Middle School at Parkside on May 8, 2025. Many schools across the country have experienced similar fake threats, which can scare teachers, students, and parents, and disrupt the school day.
J. Scott Park/MLive.com via TNS
School Climate & Safety 'Swatting' Disrupts Schools. New Federal Guidance Shows How to Respond
False reports of school shootings can cause chaos and fear for teachers and students.
Evie Blad, September 28, 2026
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3 min read
A photo showing a CCTV security eye style camera monitoring students in a classroom. The classroom is blurred in the background while the camera is in focus.
iStock/Getty
Special Education Cameras in Special Ed. Classrooms: Safety Measure or Privacy Invasion?
Cameras don't address insufficient teacher training, inadequate staffing, and poor behavior policies.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, September 25, 2026
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7 min read
Authorities investigate the scene after a deadly shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Ky., on Jan. 23, 2018.
Authorities investigate the scene after a deadly shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Ky., on Jan. 23, 2018. Patricia Greer, who was serving as principal during the incident, and other current and former school leaders have updated a guide on leading schools in the aftermath of gun violence.
Ryan Hermens/The Paducah Sun via AP
School Climate & Safety Principals Who Have Survived School Shootings Offer Advice in New Guide
The Principal Recovery Network updated a guide to help leaders recover from—and prevent—school shootings.
Olina Banerji, September 24, 2026
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4 min read
Collage of school construction, blueprints and money images. School funding, bonds and construction.
Collage by Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
Budget & Finance Voter Support Dips as Schools Seek to Borrow More Money
Voters will decide on 373 school district bond issues this November. What's behind the requests?
Grace Jiang, September 21, 2026
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5 min read
Teacher silhouette watches over students looking for early warning signs, classroom threat assessment
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
School Climate & Safety Opinion AI-Assisted or Not, School Threat Assessment Starts in Classrooms
Leaders must involve teachers when creating an effective school safety system.
Jillian Haring, September 16, 2026
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5 min read
Education Week Managing Editor. Sean Cavanagh (left) and Deputy Managing Editor Kevin Bushweller discuss how one New York City school experienced September 11, 2001.
Education Week Managing Editor. Sean Cavanagh (left) and Deputy Managing Editor Kevin Bushweller discuss how one New York City school experienced September 11, 2001.
Yi-Jo Shen for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Video How One NYC School Experienced 9/11: An EdWeek Editor Recounts That Day
EdWeek's Kevin Bushweller recalls how the staff at a Manhattan public school reacted with resolute calm to upheaval.
Sean Cavanagh, Kevin Bushweller & Yi-Jo Shen, September 4, 2026
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1 min read
The U.S. flag hangs on One World Trade Center during the 10th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony attended by President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush, at Ground Zero in New York, Sunday, Sept., 11, 2011 in New York.
The U.S. flag hangs on One World Trade Center during the a ceremony to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Sept. 11, 2011, in New York. Now 25 years on, the event has shaped school safety, debates over patriotism, and even federal education policy in ways that continue to reverberate.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
School & District Management How 9/11 Still Shapes Schools
Schools feel the ripple effects of 9/11 in how they handle safety, student trauma, and promoting patriotism.
Evie Blad, September 4, 2026
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11 min read
A small flying drone flies beside the head of a safety dummy during an outdoor demonstration.
A Campus Guardian Angel drone circles a dummy during a demonstration at the Florida Association of School Resource Officers' conference in Jacksonville, Fla. on July 22, 2026. Such drones, which are designed to distract a school attacker, are a largely untested strategy in the school safety world.
Micah Green for Education Week
School Climate & Safety See The Drones States Are Testing to Stop School Shootings
The remotely piloted drones are designed to distract and swarm would-be school shooters.
Evie Blad, August 28, 2026
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1 min read
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A high school football field in Crofton, Md., on Aug. 22, 2026. Gunfire has wounded or killed someone at 43 high school football games since 2018, according to tracking by Education Week. Safety specialists suggest deliberate planning ahead of football season and clear assignments for school staff at games, among other steps schools can take to enhance security.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
School Climate & Safety When Gunfire Interrupts High School Football: What Schools Should Do
Education Week has recorded 43 shootings tied to high school football games since 2018.
Grace Jiang, August 24, 2026
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9 min read
Abigail “Abby” Zwerner shares a moment with her mother Julie Zwerner after a verdict was reached in her lawsuit against the assistant principal, Ebony Parker, of Richneck Elementary School during proceedings at Newport News Circuit Court on Nov. 6, 2025 , in Newport News, Va. Zwerner was injured when a 6-year-old male student shot her while she was teaching. Violence against educators has risen since schools reopened after the pandemic.
Richneck Elementary schoolteacher Abigail Zwerner with her mother after a verdict was reached in her lawsuit against the school's assistant principal, Ebony Parker, at Newport News Circuit Court on Nov. 6, 2025 in Newport News, Va. A 6-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school that was later used to shoot Zwerner, despite her raising concerns with school officials.
Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via TNS
School & District Management Teachers Are Facing More Aggression at Work. How Can Schools Protect Them?
Teachers feel less victimized when they have their principal's support
Olina Banerji, August 20, 2026
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4 min read
HERMOSA BEACH, CA-NOVEMBER 10, 2023, 2023: People ride an e-bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach. In Hermosa Beach, it's against city code to use electric power on the Strand, but many e-bike riders do so anyway.
People ride an e-bike in Hermosa Beach, Calif. School districts are developing new policies as students' use of e-bikes rise, as do related crashes and traffic problems.
Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
School & District Management More Kids Are Riding E-Bikes, Causing Headaches for Schools and Hospital Visits
Districts develop new policies as students' e-bike use spikes—alongside crashes and traffic problems.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 3, 2026
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5 min read
An e-bike is seen at a retail store in Glenview, Ill., on July 20, 2022.
An e-bike for sale at a store in Glenview, Ill., on July 20, 2022. More students have been riding the motorized two-wheelers to school, leading school districts to establish restrictions on who can ride them and institute safety training.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
School Climate & Safety FAQs: What Schools Should Know About E-Bikes
Answers to seven questions about students' e-bike use and how schools are responding.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 3, 2026
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4 min read
ZeroEyes analyst Mario Hernandez demonstrates the use of AI with surveillance cameras to identify visible guns at the company's operations center, Friday, May 10, 2024, in Conshohocken, Pa. With the increasing use of AI technology, security is changing. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
ZeroEyes analyst Mario Hernandez demonstrates the use of AI with surveillance cameras to identify visible guns at the company's operations center, on May 10, 2024, in Conshohocken, Pa. School district administrators are investing in acoustic monitoring and passive screening systems to try to make their buildings more secure.
Matt Slocum/AP
School Climate & Safety From Our Research Center See Which Safety Technologies Schools Are Betting On
An EdWeek Research Center Survey finds that schools are investing in detection and AI-powered cameras.
Jennifer Vilcarino, May 23, 2026
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3 min read