CENTEGIX | EDUCATION
GEORGIA SCHOOL SAFETY STANDARDS
FUNDING OVERVIEW AND REQUIREMENTS
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GEORGIA IS INVESTING TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER
SCHOOL SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Earlier this year, Governor Brian P. Kemp presented recommendations for the AFY 2023 and FY 2024 budgets to the General Assembly via the annual Budget Report.
Notable budget proposals in this year’s report include:
- An additional $745 million in AFY 2023 and more than $1.1 billion in FY 2024 for K-12 education, fully funding the Quality Basic Education formula.
- $303 million to adjust the state base salary schedule to give certified education personnel a $2,000 raise. This will bring the total pay increase for educators under Governor Kemp’s administration to $7,000.
- $15 million in grant funds to encourage paraprofessionals to pursue teaching certification, growing the teacher workforce.
- $115 million in AFY 2023 for $50,000 school safety grants to every K-12 school in the state.
- $26.9 million to increase funding for school counselors to help address student emotional and mental well-being.
The Georgia School Safety Plans Law (O.C.G.A. Section 20-2-1185) requires that all public schools develop a safety plan to help curb the growing incidence of violence in schools, to respond effectively to such incidents, and to provide a safe learning environment for Georgia’s children, teachers, and other school personnel. Learn more here.
GEORGIA SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS LAW
Georgia law directs GEMA/HS to provide school safety training and technical assistance to the education, emergency management and public safety communities of Georgia.
These services are provided through GEMA/HS. It is mandatory (O.C.G.A § 20-2-1185) that all public schools develop a safety plan addressing natural disasters, hazardous materials, transportation concerns, weapons and potential terrorist activities. These School Safety Plans are inclusive and require the input and commitment of students, parents and public safety agencies.
School safety plans shall include, at a minimum, the following strategy areas:
(1) Training school administrators, teachers, and support staff, including, but not limited to, school resource officers, security officers, secretaries, custodians, and bus drivers, on school violence prevention, school security, school threat assessment, mental health awareness, and school emergency planning best practices;
(2) Evaluating and refining school security measures;
(3) Updating and exercising school emergency preparedness plans;
(4) Strengthening partnerships with public safety officials; and
(5) Creating enhanced crisis communications plans and social media strategies.
See exactly what’s required here.
GEORGIA CENTER FOR SCHOOL SAFETY
The Georgia Center for School Safety (GACSS) is a collaborative effort between the Georgia Department of Education and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to provide a clearinghouse for the dissemination of school safety resources, training, and technical assistance to Georgia schools and community partners. Learn more.
SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN: GUIDE & TEMPLATE
During an emergency, schools face many challenges and demands. By law, each public school is requried to develop a school safety plan “to help curb the growing incidence of violence in schools, to respond effectively to such incidents, and to provide a safe learning environment for Georgia’s children, teachers, and other school personnel. Such plan shall also address preparedness for natural disasters, hazardous materials or radiological accidents, acts of violence, and acts of terrorism” (Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) § 20-2-1185).
This School Safety Plan guide and templates are designed to be resource tools to help schools develop their School Safety Plan.
SCHOOL SAFETY ASSESSMENT
When creating your School Safety Plan, it’s important to assess where your school is currently at in terms of safety. The Georgia Department of Education has provided a School Safety Assessment guide to help evaluate important areas of safety in the school environment.
The level of safety in a school must be assessed using multiple indicators that apply to the total school environment. At a minimum, the assessment process will address the following:
- Safety and Security of Buildings and Grounds
- School Procedures/Guidelines
- Offenses/Consequences Outlined in the Student Code of Conduct
- Role of Law Enforcement/School Resource Officer (SRO)
- Mandatory Reporting of Criminal Activity to Law Enforcement
- Review of the Emergency/Crisis School Safety Plan
- Administrative Procedures
- Staff Development Opportunities Concerning Safety and Legal Responsibilities
- Federal Laws Concerning Students with Disabilities
- Procedures for Data Collection
- Review of Current Discipline Data
- Prevention/Intervention/Student Support Plans
- Opportunities for Student Involvement
- Opportunities for Parent Involvement
- School Climate Surveys
Explore the guide here.
CENTEGIX | EBOOK
Demonstrating Success in Education
CENTEGIX believes that school should be a place where students can learn and grow safely and with a sense of well-being. As the leader in discreet, wearable panic buttons, CENTEGIX contributes to school safety by providing instantaneous communication with first responders in the event of any threat to the health and safety of students and educators.
Learn how CrisisAlert has made a difference across the country in our ebook. Download your copy today →
CENTEGIX | CASE STUDY
Day-to-Day Emergencies Are Part of School Safety: How CrisisAlert Saved a Life in Brantley County Schools
For Dr. Kim Morgan, Brantley County Schools’ Superintendent, her hometown relationships led her to know in her gut that there was something more that she could be doing to keep her students and staff safe. Dr. Morgan and her team found the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert™ emergency response system — and just in time. Less than a month after training, it was used to save a life.
Learn about how Brantley County Schools in Nahunta, Georgia, employed the CrisisAlert solution and used quick thinking to save the life of a teacher during a medical emergency. Download your copy today →
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CENTEGIX and GAEL
The mission of the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) is to improve public education in Georgia through high quality leadership development, advocacy, and a resource network for educational leaders. GAEL believes in the continuous improvement of public education, that effective leaders make a difference, and that all students can be successful.
CENTEGIX is proud to a partner of GAEL. To learn more about the partnership, visit here.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
2023 GSBA Summer Conference
JUNE 8-10, 2023 | SAVANNAH, GA
The Georgia School Boards Association offers their Summer Conference each June as an opporunity for school board members, superintendents, and other educational leaders to come together to discuss important issues in education, as well as fulfill their annual training requirements each year. (O.C.G.A 20-2-230).
Be sure to visit the CENTEGIX booth and speak to our specialists about how CrisisAlert can protect your school. See you there.
2023 Georgia School Safety & Homeland Security Conference
JUNE 19-21, 2023 | ATHENS, GA
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, in partnership with the Georgia Department of Education, is hosting the 2023 Georgia School Safety & Homeland Security Conference on June 19-21, at The Classic Center in Athens, Ga. Started in 2009, The Georgia School Safety and Homeland Security Conference is the state’s premiere and longest-running conference for school safety. The conference adds important Homeland Security learning opportunities to this year’s lineup, such as gang awareness and cyber security.
Be sure to visit the CENTEGIX booth and speak to our specialists about how CrisisAlert can increase safety on your campus. See you there.
GEORGIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS
HEAR FROM OUR GEORGIA EDUCATORS
CrisisAlert™ Provides Grant-Funded Safety Measures
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert is an emergency incident response system that features wearable panic buttons which generate accurate, usable data. The CrisisAlert school safety solution uses visual strobes, digital messages, and automated intercom announcements to inform everyone of a campus-wide incident and to instruct them on actions they should take. CrisisAlert meets the security infrastructure needs the Georgia school safety grants aim to address.
CrisisAlert features an analytics dashboard that assists administrators as they make safety and security decisions. A data set is generated when a staff member uses their wearable badge to call for assistance. Administrators can better understand where and why, and under what conditions. These administrative decisions, enabled by CrisisAlert data, contribute to the “positive and safe climate” that the safety grants aim to foster.
The CrisisAlert school safety solution provides robust and uninterrupted communication between staff members, administrators, first responders, and students. Unlike other emergency incident response systems, CrisisAlert’s technology precludes adoption and connectivity challenges. CrisisAlert runs on a dedicated IoT network; it’s not susceptible to wi-fi or cellular connectivity interruptions. And because the CrisisAlert mobile panic button is worn along with an ID badge, 100% of staff members use it. This high adoption rate means that every staff member at every location on campus can call for help when they need it. CrisisAlert generates accurate location data for every alert, no matter where on campus. Therefore first responders know exactly where to go during an emergency. In many instances, this kind of rapid response can prevent tragedy.
These critical features of the CrisisAlert badge from CENTEGIX ensure an immediate response:
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- Desktop takeover notifications for staff mean campus-wide alerts are never missed.
- Location accuracy enables rapid response.
- The system immediately connects the parties best prepared to handle the situation.
- Wifi and phone outages have no effect on the system.
- Wearable security badges are easily accessible, lightweight, and wearable.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert can help school districts and LEAs enact these measures, making students and staff safer. The CrisisAlert school safety solution helps create a climate of safety by enabling staff members to call for help instantly, from anywhere on campus, in any type of emergency. Under these conditions, teachers can focus on student needs, and students can focus on learning.
CENTEGIX is the leader in incident response solutions. Our CrisisAlert platform is the fastest and easiest way for staff to call for help in any emergency, from the everyday to the extreme. CENTEGIX creates safer spaces by innovating technology to empower and protect people, and leaders nationwide trust our safety solutions to provide peace of mind. To learn more about CENTEGIX, visit www.centegix.com.
THE CRISISALERT ADVANTAGE: WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT
ONE BUTTON ACTIVATION
Wearable badge with a single button enables confident human action. Users are not required to download an app.
IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION
With the simple push of a button, alerts instantly reach administrators and responders.
TOTAL FACILITY COVERAGE
Our network secures every square foot of your property – there are no dead zones. Badges function everywhere.
AUDIO & VISUAL NOTIFICATION
Facility-wide alerts communicate emergency information using colored strobe lights, desktop alerts, and intercom integration.
LOCATION ACCURACY
Our innovative technology determines the location of the alert, down to an individual room.
EASE OF INSTALLATION
Solutions installed with no alterations to physical structures or electrical wiring are required.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert vs Mobile Apps
CrisisAlert eliminates vulnerabilities related to app-only solutions and enables rapid incident response to every scenario.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
CrisisAlert In Action
Our badge-based panic alarm is making headlines for the simplicity and reliability of the incident response solution.
Effective Strategies for Retaining Qualified Teachers
Districts can improve teacher retention rates by ensuring teacher autonomy and safety with mobile panic buttons like CrisisAlert.
Examining Emergency Response Solutions Post-Uvalde
CrisisAlert eliminates communication vulnerabilities and enables rapid incident response, improving outcomes and saving lives.
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