CENTEGIX | EDUCATION

Kansas School Safety Standards

FUNDING OVERVIEW AND REQUIREMENTS

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

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Kansas is Investing to Make Schools Safer

Safe and Secure School Standards Bill

Kansas school alert systems are serious business because officials want to do everything possible to support and protect the state’s students, teachers, and staff members. In 2018, the state passed its Safe and Secure School Standards bill. It provided funds to make sure school buildings across the state are safe and secure. That included building secure doors, installing safety windows, and improving the structural integrity of buildings.

The bill also endorsed and funded the use of a variety of Kansas school safety solutions, including:

panic buttons
fire alarms
security cameras,
integrated door locks
other intrusion detection systems

Along with the physical upgrades, administrators were advised to work with emergency management officials to review security options. Teachers and staff also needed to be trained in the proper use of any and all technology.

As part of the focus on safety, districts are required to regularly maintain and test communication systems with law enforcement and other first responders, so there will be no disruptions if services are ever needed.

Learn More About the Standards

Crisis Plans

All schools in Kansas should have an up-to-date school safety and security plan. Emergency procedures, which are reviewed regularly, include plans to secure buildings during an emergency. Crisis plans also include evacuation routes and reunification sites.

Students are trained each year in how to deal with potential emergencies, and that training is tested during mandated drills to ensure the procedures are working effectively.

All crisis plans are reviewed by law enforcement officials and other emergency management agencies. Kansas school safety solutions must also be submitted to school boards for review and approval.

Legislative Action for Safety

The Kansas Legislature requires school officials to report all incidents of school violence to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. In addition, the Kansas Board of Education created a task force to:

Assess school safety.
Develop preventive strategies.
Create a model policy for school districts to adopt.

The legislature also requires schools to conduct regular active shooter drills and train teachers and administrators on ways to prevent and respond to violence and threats of violence.

School-Based Prevention Strategies

Kansas school safety solutions include Second Step, a program designed to decrease violence and help students build social-emotional competence.

It’s an evidence-based approach that is taught by school staff to all grade levels. According to research, the program decreases the acceptability of violence and increases:

social-emotional competence
empathy
school and community connectedness
academic achievement

As part of the program, students’ attitudes are surveyed in the fall and again in the spring to determine if and how behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes about bullying and other issues have changed because of the training.

Grants and FunDing for Kansas School Safety Solutions

The Kansas State Dept. of Education’s Safe and Secure Schools team maintains a website with a variety of safety-related funding opportunities:

Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative

This program provides funding to prevent and reduce violent crime in communities by supporting comprehensive, evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs.

Deadline: May 18, 2023

Learn more about this program here.

Fiscal Year 2023 Nonprofit Security Grant Program

This grant provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities for nonprofit organizations that are at a high risk of a terrorist attack.

Deadline: May 18, 2023

Learn more about this grant here.

Fiscal Year 2023 Homeland Security Grant Program

This program includes a variety of risk-based grants to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial efforts in preventing, protecting against, mitigating, responding to, and recovering from acts of terrorism and other threats.

Deadline: May 18, 2023

Learn more about this program here.

For more about these grant opportunities, please click here. You can also use the Grants Finder Tool’s various features to search for additional grants related to school safety. To learn more about how to meet Kansas school safety standards, connect with a CENTEGIX specialist today.

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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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HOW ARE YOUR RESOURCES BEING SPENT?

CENTEGIX protects over 4,000 schools across the country.

We can protect your school, too. CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert™ platform is an incident response solution that protects students and staff members by empowering teachers and staff to call for help with a simple push of a button. The solution provides first responders with the most accurate location information, enabling them to respond faster in any situation.

Discover additional resources to fund new safety and security initiatives in your district with our funding guide.

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CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

Olathe Public Schools

Olathe, KS

Hear Dr. Jim McMullen speak about the impact the CrisisAlert badge had at Olathe Public Schools during the Fall 2022 semester at their January Board of Education meeting.

Blue Valley School District

Overland Park, KS

Blue Valley School District implemented the CrisisAlert system, allowing teachers and administrators to call for help at the touch of a button. Learn more in our video.

HEAR FROM OUR EDUCATORS

"I witnessed a custodian slipping and falling in the front lobby, and she was needing immediate help to stop bleeding. I was able to hit the button and get the nurse's attention immediately. We did not have to use the ambulance because of the quick response. Your system is perfect for schools! Thanks!"

Private school teacher, Sarasota County, FL

"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."

Elementary school teacher, Clayton County Schools

"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.

"A student was bothering another student and would not stop after several verbal warnings and attempt to separate the student from his target, and without any luck I triggered the alarm to come assist me with the situation. It has been very comforting to just push a button and help is on the way."

Middle school teacher, Coweta County Schools

"I had a student who was refusing to follow directions and became very defiant. This student was beginning to get aggressive. I used my badge to alert our campus security monitor to remove the student from the situation.It is a very useful tool when the response was as immediate as it was and the resolution was satisfactory. Students understood the urgency in the situation."

High school teacher, Clark County School District

"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

"A student was having a meltdown and jeopardizing the safety of himself and others. Instead of having to go to the wall phone and dial a number or call from my personal phone, the office was quickly alerted and called ME to find out what type of assistance I needed. I've only used it once, but I'm secure in the fact that it works so fast and response time in shortened."

Elementary school teacher, Cobb County 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.

"I had a student who was inconsolable and crying very, very loudly. She was unable to regain composure and was disrupting the class and the classrooms around us. I believe that every teacher in every classroom should have access to this tool. It is a gamechanger for teachers."

Elementary school teacher, Olathe Public Schools

"2 students came into my classroom, ready to fight each other and without the centigix badge things would have escalated. It was quick and easy to use to resolve the conflict."

Middle school teacher, Douglas County Schools

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 Kansas 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.