In June 2022, Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order to create a School Safety Toolkit to: 

• Direct state agencies to help school districts implement existing school safety laws, including regular security audits.
• Provide parents with information on how to advocate for school safety, report suspicious behavior, access mental health resources, and help ensure school building security.

The safety kit includes the free SafeTN app, so threats and safety concerns at schools can be reported anonymously. All tips and concerns are sent to law enforcement.

The Tennessee Mental Health Crisis Hotline is available 24/7 and 365 days a year. The number is (855) CRISIS-1.

WARNING SIGNS

The School Safety Toolkit for Tennessee Families includes signs that someone could cause harm at school:

• social withdrawal
• excessive feelings of isolation and being alone
• excessive feelings of rejection
• being a victim of violence
• feelings of being persecuted
• low school interest and poor academic performance
• uncontrolled anger
• patterns of impulsive and chronic hitting, intimidating, and bullying behaviors
• history of discipline problems
• history of violent and aggressive behavior
• intolerance for differences and prejudicial attitudes
• use of drugs and alcohol
• affiliation with gangs
• serious threats of violence

If a student displays some of these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean the child will commit acts of violence. However, they can suggest that the student needs help. 

The Behavior Health Safety Net for Children provides outpatient mental health services for ages three to seven. There are no limits on family income for eligibility.

In addition, Mental Health 101 is an early intervention program for middle and high school students across Tennessee. Mental health professionals visit more than 120 schools each year. 

Learn more here.

When Tennessee passed the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) Act, it provided a state-level team to help school districts develop and implement a comprehensive school safety planning strategy.

All school districts are required to work with parents and emergency response agencies to create emergency operations plans (EOPs) to be submitted to the Tennessee School Safety Center. EOPs should include:

• parent notification plan
• plan for relocating and releasing students
• designated primary and alternate evacuation routes
• planning for school-sponsored events, field trips, bus emergencies, and on-site and off-site command posts

Under the SAVE act, grant funds are available from the School Safety Center to help districts develop their plans.

Learn more about the act here.

Executive Order 97, which was signed by Gov. Lee, directs the Department of Education to request permission to use existing ESSER funds to conduct safety assessments that would identify the need for facility upgrades necessary to enhance building security and safety.

The order also directs the state education officials to identify regional staff that can be repurposed to focus on safety, mental health, and family and community engagement.

Learn more here.

Tennessee school safety solutions include the Safe Schools Act, which makes funds available to limit violent and disruptive behavior. Public school districts can use those funds for

• facility security and planning
• school safety personnel
• violence prevention
• training and drills
• behavioral health

Up to $20 million was available to be dispersed to different schools in 2021 and 2022. The 2023 amount hasn’t been set.

Learn more about the Safe Schools Act grant here.

When The School Safety Act of 2018 was passed, it gave off-duty police officers the opportunity to work in state schools. The law also required participating law enforcement agencies to assess school safety and report back to the legislature.

Learn more about the bill here.

Additional Tennessee school safety standards will go into effect on July 1. The Tennessee School Safety Center will be tasked with developing and evaluating training materials related to safety issues, including

• behavior
• discipline
• violence prevention

Officials at the center will collect and analyze school safety data and make regular reports to the education committee of the Senate and the education administration committee of the House of Representatives.

Tennessee’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security and Department of Education are charged with developing school security assessments and training law enforcement and school administrators to identify and eliminate school security vulnerabilities.

Learn more about the assessment process here.

The law that created the Tennessee School Safety Center also allows school districts to use funding from the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Formula for programs geared toward student safety:

• violence prevention programs
• conflict resolution
• disruptive or assaultive behavior management
• improved school security
• school resource officers
• school safety officers
• peer mediation
• employee training

Learn more about the formula here.

When it comes to Tennessee school safety solutions, keeping school doors locked to block access by unauthorized people is a simple step to protect students. According to a report, the State Fire Marshal’s Office identified 527 unlocked exterior doors during inspections of approximately 1,500 schools. 

Gov. Lee introduced legislation requiring that all primary and secondary schools keep their exterior doors locked or risk losing escalating amounts of funding for each violation.

The proposed legislation would also require new security features included with all school buildings constructed or renovated after July 1.

Some school districts have invested in cameras and metal detectors, but it’s always important to focus on the fundamentals, such as developing a school climate of questioning individuals on campus who aren’t wearing visitor badges.

Learn more about the required features here.

The Tennessee School Safety Specialist Program provides ongoing training about best practices for school safety, security, prevention, and planning. The goal is to create a safe and supportive learning environment.

After training, School Safety Specialists:

• Coordinate with emergency responders, local medical facilities, community members, administrators, parents, and students to update emergency operations plans.
• Network with appropriate stakeholders to enhance school safety.
• Serve as resources on issues related to school discipline, safety, security, and bullying prevention.
• Provide professional development for district faculty and staff on school violence, crime prevention, bullying, and other issues.

Learn more about the program here.