TxSSC
Texas Education Code 37.108 requires school districts to conduct safety and security audits of their facilities at least once every three years and to report the results to the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC).
The TxSSC has an established process to collect the safety and security audit results of independent school districts and open-enrollment charter schools through the 3-year audit survey. The reporting tools are sent to superintendents during the last year of each audit cycle. The current audit cycles and reporting periods for independent school districts and open-enrollment charter schools are below.
Independent School Districts:
The three-year Independent School District (ISD) Safety and Security Audit cycle began on September 1, 2023, and will end on August 31, 2026. The reporting period for submitting the 3-year audit survey results to the TxSSC is April 15, 2026, to September 15, 2026.
Open-Enrollment Charter Schools:
The three-year Open-Enrollment Charter Schools Safety and Security Audit cycle began on September 1, 2025, and will end on August 31, 2028. The reporting period for submitting the 3-year audit survey results to the TxSSC is April 14, 2028, to September 15, 2028.
Safety and Security Audits are required by TEC 37.108 and must be completed during that cycle. The districts may need to submit their School Safety and Security Audit Final Report to the School Board and the 3-year survey results at separate meetings.
School districts are not required to submit their audit results to the TxSSC outside of the referenced reporting periods. While school districts are statutorily required to conduct safety and security audits once every three years, the audit process should be ongoing and continuous.
In this Toolkit, “district” or “school district” refers to both independent school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. Junior community college districts may also be referred to as “districts” when citing statutes; however, this toolkit is designed for independent school districts and charter schools as the Higher Education Safety and Security Audit Toolkit on the TxSSC website addresses junior community college safety and security audits.
This Safety and Security Audit Toolkit serves as a comprehensive framework for conducting the state-mandated Safety and Security Audit within the district. This toolkit will assist the district through each phase of the audit process, encompassing preparedness, execution, reporting, and improvement planning. The provided templates and resources within the toolkit are essential to the audit process aimed at evaluating and enhancing the district's safety measures, security protocols, and overall emergency preparedness.
Safety and Security Audit Annual Supplemental
The Annual Supplemental is a maintenance document which captures amended laws identified by the TxSSC after the audit resources are published. It provides updates necessary to keep the audit process accurate, consistent, and compliant. Districts should use the Annual Supplemental to update assessment questions and ensure their audit activities reflect the most current guidance as they progress through the audit cycle.
For more information about Junior College audits, the TxSSC has created a separate Toolkit linked below. This Toolkit provides institutions of higher education with a model process for conducting ongoing safety and security assessments required under Texas Education Code §37.108. (Note: The link below will open in a new tab.)
Texas Education Code 37.108(b) states:
While the term “audit” is included in TEC 37.108, the process developed by the TxSSC was designed as a self-assessment of a district's safety and security. Audits should be an ongoing process with the aim of identifying hazards, threats, and vulnerabilities that might pose a danger to life or property or may interfere with a safe, secure and healthy environment that is conducive to teaching and learning. Attention to safety and security should not be thought of as an annual or a once every three-year event. Districts are encouraged to integrate ongoing safety and security assessments into everyday activities, including planning, training, and drilling of emergency procedures.
While state statute requires that at least once every three years, an audit of district facilities be conducted, safety and security may be enhanced by implementing ongoing identification and improvements. These proactive measures to make continual improvements should also make the three-year reporting more effective.