CENTEGIX | EDUCATION

INDIANA SCHOOL SAFETY STANDARDS

FUNDING OVERVIEW AND REQUIREMENTS

AS SEEN ON

Revolutionizing School Safety: States Take Action Following Tennessee Shooting to Ensure a Secure Learning Environment

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STORY HERE

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INDIANA IS INVESTING TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER

SCHOOL SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS:

In March 2018, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a letter commending the state for its leadership in school safety initiatives. He requested an additional $5 million be allocated to the Secured School Fund to support safety initiatives and directed the executive director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the director of School Building Physical Security & Safety for the Indiana Department of Education to lead a group of experts in establishing recommendations that would address the unique threats facing schools today. The complete recommendations were delivered to the governor on Aug. 1, 2018.

Over the course of more than four months, several key focus areas to enhance school security were identified through the efforts of the working group. Indiana must address gaps in areas that go beyond hardening our buildings and training to respond to incidents. An increased emphasis on enhanced and expanded mental health services as well as the adoption of equipment and technology impacting school safety is needed. In addition, it is recommended that policy makers re-evaluate the scope of eligible projects and the funding formula for the Secured School Fund.

Finally, it is clear that multiple agencies and groups collect data on trends, threats, and student behavior, but that information is rarely shared with all the stakeholders with an interest in student well-being. The recommendations set forth in the report will help Indiana take school security to the next level and further establish the state as a national standard when it comes to protecting children. Learn more here.

SECURED SCHOOL SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM

Since being signed into law in 2013, the Indiana Secured School Safety Grant (SSSG) Program has served as a critical resource to ensure Hoosier schools are safe and secure. The program has awarded about $133 million in matching grants to Indiana school districts across the state to address potential safety threats and help them prepare.

The program supports a dedicated state grant fund that provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools or a coalition of school corporations and/or charter schools applying jointly to:

1. Employ a school resource officer;
2. Conduct a threat assessment; and/or
3. Purchase equipment to restrict access to the school or expedite the notification of first responders;
4. Support firearms training in districts that choose to implement such programs (new for FY20);
5. Support the implementation of a student and parent support services program (new for FY20);
6. Fund the one-time startup costs of an active alert warning system (new for FY 20)

The budget passed during the 2019 General Assembly session allocated $19 million to the SSSG program for school grants and administrative costs. Learn more about the grant here.

INDIANA COMMON SCHOOL FUND

If your school was previously approved for a matching grant from the Indiana Secured School Fund (established at Ind. Code 10-21-1-2) and you would like to apply for an advance from the Indiana Common School Fund, please apply here.

Pursuant to HEA 1230 and Ind. Code 20-49-10-5(a), advances may be used to purchase equipment or make capital improvements needed to:

restrict access to schools;
expedite the notification of first responders; or
improve school security.

The maximum amount of an advance that a school corporation or charter school may receive under this chapter is the lesser of:

five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000); or
the amount needed to cover costs approved by the Secured School Safety Board that are in excess of the amount awarded by the Secured School Safety Board under Ind. Code 10-21-1-4 and the amount committed as a match by the school corporation or charter school (or coalition of public schools filing jointly) that applied for the grant under Ind. Code 10-21-1-5.

Private schools are not eligible to request an advance from the Common School Fund.

Requests for an advance will be reviewed by the Secured School Safety Board within thirty (30) days after receipt and sent to the State Board of Education with a funding recommendation.

Final funding determinations will be made by the State Board of Education. Learn more about the fund here.

INDIANA SECURED SCHOOL SAFETY BOARD

The Indiana Secured School Safety Board was established to approve or disapprove applications for matching grants through the Secured School Safety Grant Program. Per IC 10-21-1-3, the board shall establish criteria to be used in evaluating applications for matching grants from the fund. These criteria must be consistent with the fund’s goals, and provide for an equitable distribution of grants to school corporations and charter schools located throughout Indiana.

Learn more about the board here.

CENTEGIX | CASE STUDY

Prevention Through Partnership: How One School District’s School Safety Investment Pays Off

There is power in prevention. Like schools nationwide, The Jay School Corporation in Portland, Indiana, believes that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. From medical alerts to weather incidents to other common daily scenarios, Jay School Corporation knows teachers and staff need to be prepared for any situation at any time.

Learn about how Jay School Corporation in Portland, Indiana, has utilized the CrisisAlert solution to improve comprehensive safety for their 3,000+ students across 6 school sites in our free case study. Download your copy today →

DOWNLOAD

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 →

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CENTEGIX | WEBINAR

Safety Isn’t Just About Security – Here’s How Indiana Districts Get Ready For Anything

The national dialogue around school safety centers, appropriately, in large part around security issues. The reality is, however, that safety in schools means that leaders and teachers have to be ready for anything and everything, including medical alerts, weather incidents, and other scenarios that are an all-too-common feature of daily life in the classroom.

This on-demand webinar looks at how Jay School Corporation in Portland, Indiana, prepares in advance, handles crises in the moment, and continues to improve comprehensive safety over and above security for their 3,000+ students across 6 school sites.

WATCH THE ON-DEMAND WEBINAR

INDIANA SCHOOL DISTRICTS

“We chose CENTEGIX CrisisAlert because we wanted a simple, proven and reliable notification system to rapidly lock down a school building and quickly get help. We felt we made the right decision after hearing about so many districts throughout Indiana getting the system…We have already seen the system used by staff who need assistance with medical issues or other situations when help is needed quickly. Our parents and community also appreciate knowing we take school safety seriously.”

– Jeremy Gulley, Superintendent of Jay School Corporation

CENTEGIX and AEPA

The Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA) is a multi-state non-profit organization made up of Educational Service Agencies / political subdivisions organized through a Memorandum of Understanding between all participating states. AEPA’s mission is to cooperatively serve their agency memberships through a continuous effort to explore and solve present and future purchasing needs.

AEPA conducts bi-annual meetings where bid responses are reviewed and evaluated by all AEPA member agencies. Once bids are approved for award by AEPA, each AEPA member state selects contracts they feel will best help their respective states.

CENTEGIX is a proud AEPA-awarded member in the state of Indiana as a Security Solution. We look forward to the opportunity to explore and solve your school safety needs. Learn more here.

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: SOUTH ADAMS SCHOOLS

At South Adams Schools, they take the safety and security of their students and staff seriously. As one of the first districts in the state to implement the system, South Adams Schools was eager to be a leader in school safety and an example for surrounding schools.

Check out how they’ve implemented the CENTEGIX CrisisAlert system and the difference it’s making in their community in this video.

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CENTEGIX and IAPSS

Knowledgeable, ethical, effective leaders are essential to achieving educational excellence. The Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents (IAPSS) was established with this premise in 1960. IAPSS provides professional development targeted at improving the educational process, promoting the effective operation of schools, and developing new superintendents. IAPSS meetings provide a forum for discussion of educational issues between members and state and national experts.

CENTEGIX is proud to a Bronze Business Partner of IAPSS. To learn more about the partnership, visit here.

HEAR FROM OUR INDIANA EDUCATORS

"A child with special was writhing and screaming on the floor of the lunch room. I pushed the button and immediately the team was coming in the door. 10/10 would recommend because CrisisAlert worked for me in that crisis situation."

Elementary school teacher, Jay School Corp.

"I was outside with my physical education class and I had a student become upset at another student in their group. They made a poor choice and then feared that they would get in trouble for that choice....when I could not get this student to [re]enter the building, I knew I needed to push my badge so administrators could find us and help me get him calm and into the building. It was great to know that the administrators would know I needed help and would be able to see our location since it was outside of the building in a random spot. As a PE teacher the badge gives me a sense of security that I can receive help with altercations or injuries quickly. In the past you had to send students running for help...this is a much better system!"

PE Teacher, South Adams Schools

"I had a student have a seizure in my classroom. I have used this several times, and the admins come check on me promptly."

High school teacher, Jay School Corp.

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 Indiana 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:

- 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.