How do you know whether a leader truly prioritizes school safety?
For former Delaware Governor Jack Markell, the answer is in the budget. In Episode 10 of The Safety Signal, “Show Me the Money. Promises Don’t Make Schools Safe,” Markell joins CENTEGIX CMO Robb Monkman to discuss the responsibilities that come with protecting students and school employees.
Markell brings the experience of a two-term governor, former National Governors Association chair, and former U.S. ambassador to Italy and San Marino. But he begins with a more personal perspective: “My first filter is as a dad.”
That perspective shapes his central argument. School safety funding must give schools the people, technology, and preparation needed to carry out their safety plans. A public commitment becomes meaningful when educators have resources they can use.
Why does school safety funding reveal a leader’s priorities?
Markell offers a familiar expression as a test of an elected official’s values: “Show me your budget and I’ll tell you about your values.”
He recalls serving as governor when the Sandy Hook tragedy occurred and meeting parents of children who were killed. Protecting schoolchildren became a responsibility he examined through both his role in government and his experience as a parent.
When Monkman asks about mandates that leave districts responsible for costs, Markell’s response is direct. Supporting a requirement carries an obligation to address the resources needed to implement it. “But if you don’t provide the money, I don’t want to hear the rhetoric,” he says.
For district leaders, the same question can guide a school safety budget discussion. Does the budget support the response described in the plan? Can staff request assistance? Can responders locate the emergency? Is there time and support for training?
The CISA K–12 School Security Guide supports assessing vulnerabilities and planning layered security. That assessment helps leaders connect spending decisions to identified needs. It also provides a practical starting point for allocating limited school safety resources.
Who is responsible for providing school safety resources?
Monkman asks where responsibility sits among the statehouse, district, and school. Markell’s answer extends across the community. “It sits with every adult,” he says.
He names school administrators, principals, staff, and law enforcement, then includes legislators, cabinet secretaries, and governors. His reason is straightforward: schools need resources to make safety real, and public officials have a role in making those resources available.
Shared responsibility requires coordination. Educators understand daily conditions on campus. Safety professionals understand response needs. Budget decision-makers must understand what it will take to support both.
The federal Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans recommends collaborative planning with district staff, first responders, emergency managers, and health partners. Funding discussions benefit from that same range of perspectives.
Markell also recognizes that funding arrangements vary by community. States, counties, and districts need to determine where resources will come from and explain the value of the investment to taxpayers. He does not propose one universal percentage or funding formula. His focus is on whether the people responsible for protecting schools work together to make necessary investments possible.
How does funding turn a school safety plan into action?
A school safety plan identifies how people should respond. Funding supports the capabilities that allow them to follow those procedures.
Markell illustrates that connection through Delaware’s preparedness work. When the conversation turns to school layouts, he recalls the effort required to make building information available to first responders. Even that foundational step took work and resources.
For schools today, the investment may include accessible alert technology, accurate maps, communication tools, and the training needed to use them together. The CENTEGIX Safety Platform® connects staff alerting, location information, and emergency communication to support response.
The investment decision should account for the complete deployment. Schools need to understand the costs that may be excluded from a technology proposal, including infrastructure, installation, additional components, and ongoing support. Evaluating the full value of a school alert system also means considering whether employees can access it, use it confidently, and rely on the resulting response.
Training and practice deserve a place in that discussion. FEMA’s exercise and evaluation guidance describes exercises as a way to assess capabilities and identify improvements. Districts should plan for the time and resources to act on what those exercises reveal.
Markell’s budget test reaches beyond purchasing equipment and asks whether schools have what they need to make their plans operational.
How can leaders pursue funding for school safety?
Markell emphasizes that taxpayers deserve an explanation of why an investment matters. School safety leaders can make that case by connecting a request to a specific preparedness or response need.
For example, a proposal might explain that staff currently have to leave an incident to find help, that responders lack current campus information, or that emergency messages do not reliably reach the people who need them. Defining the problem gives budget decision-makers a clearer understanding of the proposed school safety solutions.
Districts can also investigate funding sources that match those needs. The SchoolSafety.gov Grants Finder Tool helps users explore federal school safety opportunities. The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program includes emergency law enforcement notification technology among its statutory purpose areas. Eligibility, allowable costs, and application windows require review for each funding cycle.
The CENTEGIX school safety funding resources offer another starting point for exploring opportunities. A grant can support an investment, while district planning should also address ongoing costs and responsibilities after that award ends.
These funding tools support the practical work behind Markell’s argument: identify the need, explain the value, and secure resources that allow schools to act.
What should communities expect beyond school safety mandates?
Later in the episode, Monkman asks about Alyssa’s Law. Markell returns to implementation. He encourages parents, teachers, and citizens to keep using their voices after legislation is signed.
The question is whether conditions inside schools change as a result.
That is a useful measure for any school safety investment. Leaders can ask whether staff have better access to help, whether responders receive clearer information, and whether schools have addressed the gaps identified in planning and exercises.
Technology implementation should include planning, configuration, training, testing, and ongoing support. Its effectiveness also depends on staff understanding and adopting the system.
Asked what advice he would give a newly elected governor, Markell urges a focus on what constituents care about. For parents, that includes whether their children are safe at school. Explaining values must lead to providing resources. “Not just words, but action,” he says.
Hear Markell’s full perspective on budgets, shared responsibility, and action in Episode 10 of The Safety Signal, “Show Me the Money. Promises Don’t Make Schools Safe.”
Frequently asked questions about school safety funding
What should school safety funding support?
School safety funding should address needs identified in a district’s safety plan and assessments. Depending on those needs, it may support personnel, training, emergency communication, mapping, equipment, implementation, and ongoing maintenance.
Who is responsible for funding school safety?
Funding responsibilities vary by jurisdiction and program. Markell emphasizes coordination among state, county, and district leaders so schools have resources to carry out their responsibilities.
How can districts connect their school safety budgets to their plans?
Districts can connect each proposed investment to an identified gap, response procedure, or preparedness goal. Budget reviews should include implementation, training, ongoing costs, and how the district will evaluate whether the investment supports its plan.
Does passing a school safety law guarantee implementation funding?
Funding depends on the legislation, appropriations, and programs involved. Districts should verify available resources and eligible costs. Markell’s point is that passing a requirement does not complete the work of equipping schools to act.