Hurricane Harvey swept our Texas coast, and as a result, affected 58 counties in the state. Consequently, the daily operations of many districts and schools were negatively impacted as a result of the storm. In order to help districts, school personnel, and students begin the recovery process, the Texas School Safety Center is compiling a list of trusted organizations and timely resources to assist our schools and communities during this difficult phase. (Read more…)

According to the Railroad Commission of Texas, the state is crisscrossed with over 439,771 miles of pipelines. Human error, like digging without calling 811 to have underground pipelines and utilities marked for safety beforehand, is still the leading cause of pipeline damages across the United States. Therefore, it is important for Texas schools to have relevant information and resources to keep students safe at school, along bus routes, athletic fields and during school events, where pipelines may be nearby.(Read more…)

Students engage in a variety of activities during play time, lunch periods, recess hours and physical education classes at school playgrounds. The activities that occur at these playgrounds contribute to the overall academic success as well as the general wellbeing of students. Playgrounds also provide opportunities for students to interact and build good relationships with their peers outside of the classroom. Further, playgrounds provide ways for students to engage in physical activities which contribute to the physical, social, mental or cognitive development of children. Research shows that, playgrounds serve as places for learning and development and as sources of well-being and health promotion. Playgrounds, therefore, offer many opportunities for students which have wide reaching effects that extend beyond the physical boundaries of the playgrounds. (Read more…)

School officials today are more diligent and proactive than ever at assessing potential risks, threats and hazards that may be in or around their schools, athletic fields and bus routes. But one danger is often overlooked and left out of emergency assessments and plans likely because it is out of sight. Pipelines are transporting hazardous materials beneath our feet every moment of every day and if damaged or leaking, can produce a catastrophic emergency that is hard to be prepared for and places hundreds at risk. That is why the American Petroleum Institute says that schools that are located near pipelines are “high consequence areas”. How relevant is this to Texas schools? (Read more…)

Access control continues to be one of the top safety and security challenges faced by schools. Allowing unauthorized individuals access to a school or facility can compromise student and staff safety. To help reduce the occurrence of any safety incidents, this article provides guidance that schools and districts can utilize when creating and/or improving visitor management and access control procedures to promote safe, secure and healthy learning environments. (Read more…)

No district or school wants to imagine the effects of a large scale disaster on their community. Often, the phrase "it will not happen here" or "it will not happen to us" is thrown around. In reality, regardless of geographical location, all districts in Texas are vulnerable to some type of large scale disaster, whether it is manmade or natural. These threats, disasters, and hazards will ultimately disrupt the school day and send the school into a state of crisis. It is the responsibility of administrators to ensure staff is trained and the district is adequately prepared to respond to and recover from these incidents. In order to respond and recover effectively, districts must focus their attention on preparedness. (Read more…)

Similar to adults, students are just as likely to encounter trauma either through personal experience or indirect knowledge of disasters that have occurred. These traumatic events can include the death of a family member, classmate, or teacher, violent event and a natural disaster. Unlike adults, however, students cope with trauma differently and often experience grief or symptoms of trauma at different time periods. 1,2,4 Trauma experienced from a disaster manifests in different ways across various age groups and can range from feelings of fear, shock, anxiety, depression, anger, denial, loss of sleep, dissociative behavior, substance abuse, and even physical stress. (Read more…)