CENTEGIX | Education
Georgia School Safety Standards
CENTEGIX | Education
Georgia School Safety Standards
Georgia Introduces SB 17: Ricky and Alyssa’s Law
In January 2025, Sen. Jason Anavitarte introduced SB 17, also known as Ricky and Alyssa’s Law. The bill is named in honor of Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and Coach Richard “Ricky” William Aspinwall, the Apalachee High School defensive coordinator killed during a shooting in September 2024.
If passed, SB 17 would require local school systems to implement a mobile panic alert system capable of connecting disparate emergency services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between multiple state and local first responder agencies in the event of a school security, and authorize the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to adopt rules and regulations for the requirements for school mapping data.
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 Safety Report
2024 School Safety Trends: Saving Seconds Saves Lives
Discover our latest, comprehensive analysis of school safety incidents gathered from the CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ usage data for the 2023-2024 school year in our report 2024 School Safety Trends: Saving Seconds Saves Lives.
See what our safety report reveals regarding safety in the classroom, state safety legislation, and critical components of school safety solutions. Download your copy today.
CENTEGIX in the News
Gwinnett County Schools installs new security alarm system for the new school year
DeKalb schools say security enhancements are the district’s ‘vantage point of strength’
Henry County Board of Education approves campus alert system upgrades
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 →
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.
Championing Safe Schools with Georgia Educators
Hear from Our Georgia Educators
We engage with teachers and staff every day to understand how CrisisAlert supports them, and here’s what they’ve shared:
A student was having trouble breathing and her vision was beginning to black out. We don’t have service in our building and it can be difficult to get ahold of the office staff, so having something to immediately alert them of emergency was incredibly helpful in a very scary situation.
A student was arguing with another in the hall during class change. The student dropped their bag and was about to start a fight. I stepped in between them and pushed the button to alert admin. The fight was avoided, the student was removed from the situation, and class was able to start on time.
Two students got into a physical altercation in my room. I used my Centegix button and I quickly received help and got my class back in order. It allowed me quick help that I needed.
The Safety Platform™ Meets Grant-Funded Safety Measures
The CENTEGIX Safety Platform is an emergency incident response safety system that features wearable panic buttons, digital mapping software, and reunification and visitor management capabilities and generates accurate, usable data. The Safety Platform 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. The Safety Platform meets the security infrastructure needs the Georgia school safety grants aim to address.
The Safety Platform 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 request assistance. Administrators can better understand where and why and under what conditions. These administrative decisions, enabled by Platform data, contribute to the “positive and safe climate” that the safety grants aim to foster.
The CENTEGIX school safety platform provides robust and uninterrupted communication between staff members, administrators, first responders, and students. Unlike other emergency incident response systems, the Safety Platform’s technology precludes adoption and connectivity challenges. It 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 request 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 and Safety Blueprint from CENTEGIX ensure an immediate response:
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.
Wi-Fi and phone outages have no effect on the system.
Wearable security badges are easily accessible, lightweight, and wearable.
CENTEGIX Safety Platform can help school districts and LEAs enact these measures, making students and staff safer. The Safety platform school safety solution helps create a climate of safety by enabling staff members to request help immediately, 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 Safety Platform is the fastest and easiest way for staff to request 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.
Discover the Safety Platform
Safety solutions that prioritize speed for the best outcome.
Mapping and locating capabilities provide the precise location—of emergencies, visitors, and safety assets.
A visitor management system screens and locates visitors on your campus.
Protocol development to plan for rapid incident response.
CENTEGIX CrisisAlert vs. Mobile Apps
When all staff members are equipped with the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert badge, Georgia schools eliminate the need for educators to download an emergency response app to their personal devices and achieve 100% user adoption.
In an Emergency, You Need CrisisAlert™
Adverse situations can happen at any moment—from everyday crises such as medical emergencies, severe weather, and physical altercations to extreme situations that threaten your entire campus. The faster you get help to the right location, the better the outcome.
See how our CrisisAlert wearable mobile panic button empowers staff to get help instantly in an emergency.
Ready to Connect with a CENTEGIX Specialist to Learn More?
Alysse Daniels, M.Ed.
Senior RVP, Strategic Accounts
Phone: 404-202-3813
Email: adaniels@centegix.com
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*By providing my phone number to CENTEGIX, I agree and acknowledge that CENTEGIX may send text messages to my wireless phone number for any purpose. Message and data rates may apply. CENTEGIX will only send one SMS as a reply, and I will be able to Opt-out by replying “STOP”. **No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes.*
Empower Your Educators
with Safety
Explore More Safety Resources
Supporting the Unique Safety Needs of Special Education Students and Staff
In our case study, learn how Meade County School District has supported and empowered their special education staff and students with the CENTEGIX Safety Platform™.
Visitor Management: Best Practices for Your School Safety Plan
CENTEGIX empowers thousands of schools to take control of their visitor management and protect their teachers, students, and staff. Get a copy of our Visitor Management Best Practices Guide today.
2024 School Safety Trends Report
This report offers our latest, comprehensive analysis of school safety incidents gathered from the CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ usage data for the 2023-2024 school year.
School Safety Standards by State
Schools in any state can meet school safety grant funding requirements by choosing the CENTEGIX Safety Platform™. Learn more about school safety in your state.
How to Conduct a Risk/Threat Assessment of Your School Safety Plan
Threat assessments identify students who need support, and risk assessments examine the school safety plan to identify gaps. The CENTEGIX Safety Platform can help.
The Tide is Changing on Violence in Healthcare
Recent violence in healthcare has brought the ongoing struggle for workplace violence prevention to the forefront of conversations for health systems.
Violence in Healthcare: 13 Statistics to Know
Workplace violence in healthcare is on the rise. Explore several key stats, how organizations are tracking the impact on people and profits, and how to create a stronger WPV prevention plan.
Workplace Violence Prevention: Utilizing Effective Safety Solutions Across Healthcare Campuses
CENTEGIX Safety Platform™ transforms workplace violence prevention in healthcare through wearable tech, automated reporting, and data-driven training.
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