These are not generic checklists.

They are customized evaluations based on 40+ years of national PreK–12 school safety experience — independent of vendors, products, or special-interest agendas.

Why School Districts Request Assessments

Districts seek professional assessments to:

• Identify what is working — and build on existing strengths

• Enhance protection against crime, violence, and critical incidents

• Reduce risk and liability exposure

• Strengthen parent and community confidence

• Demonstrate thoughtful, proactive safety leadership

• Support grants, levy campaigns, and long-range planning with independent documentation

Assessments help districts move from assumptions to clarity, and from “we think” to “we know.”

What Our Assessment Includes

1. Comprehensive Review of Policies, Procedures & Plans

We evaluate district-level and school-level documents, including:

• Safety and security policies

• Emergency operations / crisis plans

• Threat assessment processes

• Student support services and behavioral intervention practices

• Training protocols and professional development

• Communications and parent-notification practices

Our review identifies gaps, inconsistencies, outdated content, and opportunities for alignment.

2. Interviews & Focus Groups Across the District

The heart of our assessments is listening.

We conduct confidential interviews and focus groups with:

• District-level administrators (curriculum, HR, business/operations, student services, technology, transportation, food service, communications)

• Secondary and elementary principals

• Teachers and support staff

• Board members

• School-based police officers/SROs

• Law enforcement, fire, EMS, and other first responders

• Community partners as appropriate

This provides a true  understanding of real-world day-to-day operations, perceptions, concerns, and organizational dynamics.

3. School Building Visits

We examine:

• Behavioral concerns and emerging school safety threats unique to each school community

• Physical security (interior/exterior)

• Access control practices

• Visitor management

• Staff supervision and situational awareness

• Security technology (access control, cameras, communications, intrusion detection, etc.)

• Perimeter conditions and parking/traffic flow

• After-hours and community-use patterns

This moves us beyond written plans to the “real-life safety picture” in your schools.

4. Review of Incident, Discipline & Crime Data

Where available, we review:

• Weapons incidents

• Assaults, fights, and threats

• Mental health and behavioral indicators

• Trend lines

• Response patterns

• Gaps in data collection and communication

These insights help identify patterns and opportunities for early intervention.

5. Evaluation of District Emergency Preparedness

We assess your readiness in areas such as:

• Lockdowns, evacuation, shelter-in-place

• Reunification planning

• Drills and exercises

• Staff training and expectations

• Crisis decision-making

• Communications and notifications

• Administrator roles and responsibilities

• Coordination with first responders

We evaluate not only plans on paper but also the implementation reality.

6. Analysis of Safety Culture, Leadership, & Communication

Safety is not just hardware — it is leadership, culture, people, and practice.

We examine:

• Internal communication flow

• Clarity of expectations

• Follow-through on known concerns

• Role clarity (who does what, when, and how)

• District–school alignment

• Community relationships

We look specifically for “disconnects” between written policy and day-to-day practice — a major source of risk and liability.

Final Deliverable: An Actionable Roadmap — Not a Binder That Sits on a Shelf

You receive a clear, detailed, professionally written report that includes:

What you’re doing well

Strengths often go unrecognized — but they matter.

Practical, prioritized recommendations

Short-term, mid-term, and long-term action steps.

No “shopping lists” of products or vendor-driven add-ons

We don’t sell cameras, buzzers, apps, or hardware.

Our independence is our strength.

A balanced, reasonable, cost-conscious approach

We never promote a “fortress mentality.”

If hardware or staffing enhancements are warranted, they are always placed within a broader, comprehensive strategy — never as stand-alone fixes.

A roadmap for continuous improvement

Districts often use our final report to:

• Build strategic safety plans

• Guide board and administration conversations

• Improve internal training and protocols

• Strengthen communications with parents and staff

• Support levy or bond campaigns

• Apply for grants

Our Philosophy: Balance, Practicality, and Independence

Many school safety vendors want to sell products.

We provide independent, people-centered evaluations built on:

• Practical experience

• Real-world understanding

• Human factors

• Organizational behavior

• Emergency management

• Threat assessment

• What actually happens inside schools

We help leaders make informed, defensible decisions based on assessment, not imitation.

Assessment Team & Experience

Assessments are conducted by senior-level school safety professionals, led by Dr. Kenneth S. Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services.

Our team brings:

• 40+ years of national experience

• Work across thousands of schools in urban, suburban, and rural settings

• Deep knowledge of PreK–12 culture, operations, and litigation trends

• Independent expertise — no vendor affiliations

• Litigation and expert witness experience that informs risk awareness and standard-of-care expectations

Depending on district size, we deploy two-person teams, multiple teams, or a scaled approach.

Next Steps: Request Information or Schedule a Conference Call to Discuss Your Needs and Interests

To discuss your district’s needs or request a proposal:

Email: ken@schoolsecurity.org
Phone: (216) 251-3067

We customize every assessment — no two districts are exactly alike, and no two schools are exactly alike