IllinoisSchool Safety Standards

School Safety Legislation & Resources

Illinois Enacts Alyssa’s Law: HB5107

On August 7, 2026, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed HB5107 into law as Public Act 104-0789, also known as Alyssa’s Law. The law takes effect January 1, 2027.

By the beginning of the 2028–2029 school year, Illinois school districts and private schools must consider using a mobile panic alert system in their emergency and crisis response plans. A system deployed as an “Alyssa’s Alert” must integrate with the Public Safety Answering Point serving the school’s jurisdiction, transmit alerts to the PSAP’s existing infrastructure, support real-time coordination among first responder agencies, and undergo testing at least annually in coordination with the PSAP and first responders.

The law directs the Illinois State Police to establish qualifying rules by March 1, 2027. Those rules may address system scalability; reliable internet and cellular connectivity; integration with existing safety systems; rapid alerts to first responders and school personnel; testing, training, and drills; and interoperability with crisis response mapping and other situational-awareness tools. Schools must also coordinate integration requirements with their local 9-1-1 authority before purchasing and implementing a system.

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform®, featuring CrisisAlert™ wearable panic buttons, provides the comprehensive alerting, response coordination, location awareness, and safety-system interoperability Illinois schools need as they prepare for Alyssa’s Law and the forthcoming implementation rules.

School and Campus Safety Grant Program

Overseen by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the School and Campus Safety Grant Program was created to provide a baseline security level for all public schools in the state. Funds affected:

• Public K-12 school districts
• Inter-district special education cooperatives
• Public university systems
• Public community colleges

Approximately $25 million was distributed to state schools to fund 1,312 projects, including reinforced doors, physical locks, and other security measures.

The Illinois Department of Human Services has grants available for firearm violence prevention and mental health.

Illinois School Safety Drill Act

Illinois school alert systems are crucial for protecting students and creating safe environments for learning. The Illinois Association of School Boards recognized the need for a comprehensive school policy on school safety.

The organization is a member of the Illinois School Security and Standards Task Force and the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, both of which were created to develop standards to make state schools safer for students and staff.

The association has hosted school safety seminars to share school safety resources. It also helped write the School Safety Drill Act, which set standards in place for schools to follow when conducting safety drills. The act also encourages school officials to work with first responders, so everyone understands their roles and responsibilities in the event of a dangerous situation on campus.

The Illinois School Safety Drill Act:

• Establishes a minimum number of drills to conduct each year.
• Explains the types of drills that can be used.
• Requires school emergency and crisis plans to be reviewed each year by school officials and first responders.
• Requires reporting to state officials to ensure compliance.

Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center is a clearinghouse of information designed to help education leaders protect the students in their care. The center’s website includes links to information about:

• School and gang violence
• Active shooter/ threat
• Behavior threat assessment
• Site assessment
• Bullying and cyberbullying

In addition, the site directs school officials to a number of courses so administrators, staff members, and teachers can become better at recognizing and preventing threats to school safety.

The center provides a variety of best practices appropriate for K-12 schools and higher education campuses.

Factors Impacting School Climate

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority says that Illinois schools should implement safety plans that include efforts to create a positive school climate.

Factors that impact school climate include:

• Physical and social-emotional safety.
• Respect for diversity and social support.
• Social, emotional, ethical, and civic learning.
• Physical surroundings on campus.

According to research, students who see school in positive ways are less likely to skip or engage in fights than students who see school in negative ways.

The authority’s report also addresses bullying. If left unchecked or even normalized, bullying can have an adverse impact on students’ mental health and hamper relationships with peers.

According to research, a substantial percentage of school shooters have shared their intentions to do harm. The authority advises school leaders to focus on behavioral threat assessment as a way to respond to individuals with the potential to commit violence. Learn more here.

CENTEGIX Safety Report 2026 School Safety Trends:
Clarity in Crisis - Replacing Uncertainty with Coordinated Response

Built from more than 346,000 wearable panic button alerts collected during the 2025–2026 school year, the 2026 School Safety Trends Report provides a comprehensive look at how K-12 schools are improving emergency response, strengthening preparedness, and enhancing campus safety nationwide through clarity.

Download your copy today.

Get the Report