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School safety audits play a crucial role in ensuring the well-being of students and staff. The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) has conducted comprehensive statewide Intruder Detection Audits (IDAs) to assess the security measures of school campuses across Texas.
This blog post breaks down the key findings of these audits and their implications for school safety.
About the audit
The audits took place between September 2022 and May 2023 and included 7,200 districts and campuses. Using trained inspectors to assess the campuses based on various physical and procedural criteria, the IDA findings are broken down into the following categories:
- Phase 1: Intruder Detection Audit Finding,
- Phase 2: Exterior Door Audit Finding,
- Phase 3: Classroom Door Audit Finding, and
- Phase 4: Weekly Door Sweeps Audit Finding.
An inspector would issue findings if they gained unauthorized access to a campus, found issues with the security of exterior doors, or found that classroom doors were not closed or locked despite a written or verbal policy/directive.
Key Findings from the IDAs
The IDAs have yielded significant insights into school safety measures, including several areas of success and areas that need improvement in school safety measures across Texas. These findings are based on information provided to the TxSSC as of June 26, 2023.
Areas of success
- The audits covered 100% of eligible districts and 83.5% of campuses, ensuring a comprehensive assessment of school safety across Texas.
- Inspectors did not gain unauthorized access to 95.6% of campuses, indicating a high level of security in most schools.
- Of the campuses that received corrective actions, 89.3% have addressed these actions, demonstrating a proactive approach to improving safety measures.
It’s important to note that since inspectors did not achieve unauthorized access to 95.6% of campuses, the remaining 4.3% of campuses that did have unauthorized access represents 312 campuses. Of these campuses, over 85% of access points were via secondary doors—and over 53% of inspectors who successfully entered the campus were not stopped by campus personnel.
Areas in need of improvement
The report also indicates that corrective actions were required in response to specific findings made during the inspections. Here were their key findings:
- 24.5% (1,764 total schools) of completed campus inspections required corrective actions in one or more phases. The areas that required corrective actions were primarily related to unauthorized access to buildings and issues with the security of exterior doors.
- 31.6% (2,275 total schools) of campuses did not screen the inspector’s ID through an electronic database.
- 47.3% (3,405 total schools) did not use a sign-in / sign-out roster, and 17.6% (1,267 total schools) did not issue a visitor badge.
The report also provides regional trend data, showing the percentage of inspections that required corrective actions in different regions. This data can be particularly useful for school districts in these regions to understand how they compare with others and where they need to focus their improvement efforts.
The IDA process has provided valuable insights into the areas of school safety that need improvement. These insights can help school districts prioritize their safety initiatives and make informed decisions to ensure the safety of their students and staff.
Let’s take a closer look at the areas in need of improvement.
1. Unauthorized access to buildings and exterior door security
24.5% of completed campus inspections required corrective actions in one or more phases. The areas that required corrective actions were primarily related to unauthorized access to buildings and issues with the security of exterior doors.
Unauthorized access can lead to a variety of security issues, including theft, vandalism, and potentially harmful interactions with students and staff. It’s crucial for schools to have robust security measures in place to prevent unauthorized access, such as secure locks on all exterior doors and protocols for monitoring and controlling access to the building.
Through Raptor Connect, schools can maximize the value of their individual systems. Raptor Connect integrations provide an ecosystem of partners that covers a wide range of peripherals, including:
- Access control
- Cameras
- Gun detection
- Fire/smoke detection
- Alarms
- Speakers
- Communication devices
- IoT devices
- Smart boards
2. Screening visitor IDs through an electronic database
31.6% of campuses did not screen the inspector’s ID through an electronic database.
This is a significant gap in school security procedures, as it means that potentially dangerous individuals could gain access to the school without being detected.
Screening visitor IDs through an electronic database is an effective way to quickly and accurately verify a visitor’s identity and check for any potential security risks. For example, the database could flag individuals who are on a sex offender registry or who have a restraining order that prohibits them from being near the school.
Raptor can help schools enhance their building security by providing comprehensive visitor management systems. Because Raptor Visitor Management screens visitors against sex offender databases in all 50 states as well as an unlimited number of your own custom databases, your school staff will be alerted to potential threats.
And Raptor Kiosks empower schools to streamline and control the visitor sign-in process while maintaining a high level of security. Visitors scan their IDs, take their photo, and complete the check-in process. Badges print instantly and can be customized to include a bar code for easy check-out. School staff have access to view and monitor kiosk activity from their computer monitors. If there is an offender alert, staff will review the information in the Kiosk Queue on their computers to confirm or reject the match.
3. Visitor sign-in and sign-out procedures
47.3% did not use a sign-in / sign-out roster, and 17.6% did not issue a visitor badge.
The report found that 47.3% of campuses did not use a sign-in/sign-out roster, and 17.6% did not issue a visitor badge. These findings suggest that many schools do not have effective procedures in place for tracking visitors to their campuses.
Having a clear record of who is entering and leaving the school at all times is crucial for maintaining school security. If an incident occurs, this information can help school administrators and law enforcement officials determine who was on campus at the time. Visitor badges are also important, as they allow school staff and students to easily identify who is a visitor and who belongs on campus.
Raptor’s Visitor Management systems can also help schools improve their sign-in and sign-out procedures. The systems can automatically log visitor entries and exits and print visitor badges. And because it integrates with your SIS, Raptor Visitor Management can also streamline your school’s attendance—lightening the administrative burden of tracking tardies and early dismissals.
Prioritizing school safety with Raptor
School safety audits are vital tools in maintaining and improving the safety standards of schools. They provide valuable data that can guide future safety measures, helping schools identify potential vulnerabilities and implement necessary corrective actions. As school safety continues to be a priority, these audits will remain an essential part of the process, ensuring that every student can learn in a safe and secure environment.
The key findings from these audits underscore the importance of continuous evaluation and improvement in school safety measures. Raptor is committed to supporting these efforts and providing solutions that help schools enhance their safety and security.
To learn more about how Raptor can help you secure your school campus, request a personalized demo.
Related Resources
Guide to K-12 Emergency Management
Proven Strategies to Protect Your School
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