CENTEGIX | Education

Oklahoma School Safety Standards

CENTEGIX | Education

Oklahoma School Safety Standards

Oklahoma HB2903 & HB2904:

HB2903, passed in May 2023, establishes the School Resource Officer Program, a three-year pilot initiative and financial support of safety initiatives through the establishment of the School Security Revolving Fund. HB2904 provides 150 million dollars in funding to cover the costs of implementing safety provisions mandated by HB2903.

Under HB2903, school resource officers employed or contracted by participating school districts must undergo law enforcement active shooter emergency response training approved by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. These officers, equipped with specialized training in school-based law enforcement and crisis response, work collaboratively with schools using community-oriented policing concepts. At CENTEGIX, we understand the critical role school resource officers play in maintaining a safe learning environment. With CrisisAlert, school resource officers receive instant alerts, allowing them to make informed decisions and swiftly respond to emergencies. Our solution supports the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies, working hand-in-hand with schools to ensure the safety of all.

To provide financial support for the School Resource Officer Program and physical security enhancements, HB2903 also establishes the School Security Revolving Fund. Physical security enhancements could include but are not limited to:

School resource officers

Cameras

Security geofencing

Ballistic storm shelters

By implementing CrisisAlert, you can utilize the fund to its fullest potential, making strategic investments that enhance safety measures across your district. 

CENTEGIX ensures that your school safety enhancements not only meet the requirements of HB2903 but also go above and beyond, providing comprehensive protection for your school community.

Oklahoma School Security Institute Tipline

In response to the many tragic events at schools across the country, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (ODEMHS) partnered with the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) to create a tip line where students, teachers and staff can now report threats in Oklahoma schools via text message. This initiative is meant to increase ease-of-use and accessibility of an already existing telephone tipline.

Risk & Vulnerability Assessments

School leaders need to under stand what they’re up against. That’s why each staff member of the Oklahoma School Security Institute, using their Crime Prevention training and law enforcement background, can provide Risk & Vulnerability Assessments to schools. These assessments are performed at no cost. 

Assessments include:

  • A Site Visit from an OSSI Staff Member on a traditional school day to observe the normal activities around the school.
  • A List of school security best practices in each area assessed by the OSSI Staff.
  • A Campus Overview including a tour of the school with notation on the security practices in place that are working well for the site as well as notation on threats, hazards, and vulnerabilities observed at the site
  • A Review of the school’s policies and procedures with recommendations to strengthen language or processes if needed.
  • Recommendations that are either no cost or low cost for the school site to reduce risk and increase the overall security of the site.

Additional Funding for Oklahoma School Safety Solutions

Stronger Connections Grants

In late 2022, the U.S. Department of Education announced nearly $1 billion in awards through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). In Oklahoma, the Stronger Connections grants aim to provide students with safe and supportive learning opportunities and environments critical for academic success. Oklahoma was awarded $11,776,526 through this program.

Through the BSCA, Congress awarded $1 billion in funding to state educational agencies (SEAs) to develop state grant programs to give students safer and healthier learning environments. The BSCA specifies that SEAs must award these funds competitively to high-need LEAs, as determined by the state.

This grant focuses on helping schools foster sustained learning, engagement, and attachment for students in Oklahoma schools. The Stronger Connections Grant Program mandates that schools should accomplish this by becoming more resilient, supporting mental health, and improving school climate.

According to the Department of Education, schools should spend Stronger Connections Grant Program funds to: 

  • Implement evidence-based strategies that meet students’ social, emotional, and mental well-being needs. 
  • Create positive, inclusive, and supportive school environments.
  • Increase access to place-based interventions and services.
  • Engage students, families, educators, staff, and community organizations in selecting and implementing strategies to create safe, inclusive, and supportive learning environments. 
  • Design and implement policies and practices responsive to underserved students, protecting student rights, and demonstrating respect for student dignity and potential. 

Examples of spending that qualifies for funding include hiring counselors and nurses, expanding mental and behavioral health services, providing teacher training on inclusion and behavioral interventions, and other related efforts to create a positive and supportive climate in Oklahoma schools.

ESSER Funds

As part of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds were made available to address the pandemic’s impact on student safety and mental well-being. 

For the first round of ESSER grants, the state was allocated $160,950,476. Districts spent 99.96% of the funds, totaling $144,801,308. The deadline to obligate those funds was Sept. 30, 2022. 

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act was passed in 2020. As part of the act, Oklahoma’s ESSER II allocation was $665,038,753, and it must be obligated by Sept. 30, 2023. As of May 31, 2023, districts have spent 93.64% of the awarded funds, totaling $560,495,980.

Another round of funding was made available as part of the American Rescue Plan. Oklahoma’s portion of those ESSER funds is $1,494,647,051, and the obligation deadline is Sept. 30, 2024. As of May 31, 2023, districts have spent 37.58% of the awarded funds, totaling $505,503,087.

COPS School Violence Prevention Program

The U.S. Department of Justice oversees the COPS School Violence Prevention Program. The money is earmarked for evidence-based school safety programs and technology.

Schools can use those funds to purchase school safety technology that helps identify potential dangers. The money can also be used to improve emergency notification and response systems. To learn more, visit the COPS website.

BJA’s STOP School Violence Program

The U.S. Department of Justice also has funds available through the Bureau of Justice Assistance. BJA’s STOP School Violence Program funds software that helps K-12 schools maintain a safe environment. It’s geared toward recognizing, responding to, and preventing violence on campus. Learn more here.

Federal Grants

The list of federal grants awarded to Oklahoma for the 2022-23 school year includes:

  • IDEA ARP: $32,605,440
  • IDEA: $211,080,520
  • Title I: $430,199,548
  • Title IV-A: $14,289,135

How Are Your Resources Being Spent?

CENTEGIX protects over 11,500 schools across the country. We can protect your school, too.

The CENTEGIX Safety Platform™, featuring CrisisAlert™, accelerates your response to emergencies. We’ve built the CENTEGIX Safety Platform to support you in the single most critical factor of incident response: time. Because in an emergency, every second matters.

Discover federal resources to fund new safety and security initiatives in your district by exploring federal funding resources for school safety.

CENTEGIX | White Paper

The Impact of Safety on the Mental Health and Well-being of Staff and Students in K-12 Schools

When safety leads, success follows.

We’ve examined how physical, emotional, and mental health needs comes together to create the best possible outcomes for your district in our latest white paper. Access it today.
 
Download your copy of The Impact of Safety on the Mental Health and Well-being of Staff and Students in K-12 Schools now 
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Hear from Our 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.

Elementary school teacher

Clayton County Schools, GA

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.

High school teacher

Clark County School District, NV

A student was having a severe panic attack, trouble speaking, crying, not able to answer my questions as to what was wrong with her. I used the device to call for administrative help and it worked like it was designed to. Help arrived in a matter of seconds. I saw firsthand how well it works.

Middle school teacher

Palm Beach County Schools, FL

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 Oklahoma 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 an emergency, from the everyday to the extreme. CENTEGIX innovates technology to empower and protect people, and leaders nationwide trust our safety solutions to provide peace of mind. 

    Championing Safe Schools with Educators and Educator Associations

    Discover the Safety Platform

    Safety solutions that prioritize speed for the best outcome.

    One Button Activation icon
    A wearable mobile panic button quickly and discreetly initiates alerts.
    Location Accuracy icon

    Mapping and locating capabilities provide the precise locationof emergencies, visitors, and safety assets.

    Audio Visual Notifications icons
    Audiovisual notifications notify everyone rapidly of a crisis.
    One Button Activation icon

    A visitor management system screens and locates visitors on your campus.

    One Button Activation icon

    Protocol development to plan for rapid incident response.

    One Button Activation icon
    A private, managed network provides campus-wide coverage.
    One Button Activation icon
    Integrations to your existing safety assets to extend their capabilities.

    CENTEGIX CrisisAlert vs. Mobile Apps

    CrisisAlert eliminates vulnerabilities related to app-only solutions and enables rapid incident response to all emergencies.

    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?

    Jim Frodsham

    Education Channel Manager

    Phone: 360-773-6477

    Email: jfrodsham@centegix.com

    Monica Leroy

    VP, Regional Sales

    Phone: 512-775-3991

    Email: mleroy@centegix.com

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