Preparing Your School’s Safety Plan for the New Year 2025 Share Written By Amanda Tags Digital Hall PassesIntegrated School Security SolutionsSchool Emergency PreparednessSchool Safety SolutionsVisitor ManagementVolunteer Management 2025-01-16 The beginning of a new year is always a good time to reflect, plan and take steps toward improvement. When it comes to school safety, there’s no room for complacency. Throughout my years of experience, I've witnessed how the right plan and tools can make a world of difference in creating a robust and proactive safety plan to keep your students and staff safe. With 2025 just around the corner, it’s ideal to take a closer look at your safety plans and make sure you are ready to handle new challenges. In this post, I’ll share some practical tips to help you improve your school’s safety plan and show how the right solutions can make a big difference in staying prepared. Reviewing and Updating Protocols To me, the first step always begins with reflection. When I work with schools, I stress the importance of reviewing their existing safety measures. Are they still effective? Has everyone felt confident in the steps to take during a lockdown? Are there parts of your campus that feel less secure? Have you addressed new risks? The school safety landscape changes rapidly, with new challenges and regulations emerging regularly. Staying compliant with both local and national guidelines is also important to ensure the safety of your school community. By taking time to revisit and refine your protocols, you can ensure your school isn’t just reacting to situations— but is prepared for what’s ahead. Integrate the Right Tools and Technology No plan is complete without the right technology to back it up. Every year, we see significant advancements in tools designed to help schools anticipate risks and respond quickly. For example, digital hall passes can improve student accountability and reduce disruptions. By digitizing the hall pass process, you can track where students are and limit unauthorized movement during instructional time. Similarly, volunteer management systems streamline the screening and onboarding process for parents and community helpers, making volunteer participation safer and more efficient. Beyond visitor management, an emergency management system is designed to centralize communication during critical incidents. Whether it’s a fire evacuation or a lockdown, emergency management solutions enable administrators to send real-time alerts to staff, students, and parents, ensuring clarity in high-pressure situations. Train and Prepare Your Team Even the best-written safety plan is worthless if it isn’t put into practice. Drills create muscle memory for both staff and students, so they know exactly how to respond in high-pressure situations. Partnering with local law enforcement during these drills often helps schools get a comprehensive feel for emergency responses and increases the overall community buy-in. We’ve helped schools prepare by empowering administrators with classroom management solutions that put real-time information at their fingertips. From tracking attendance to instantly communicating changes during a crisis, these tools add an extra layer of preparedness to your safety program. Engaging the Community School safety is never a one-person job. One of the most effective ways I’ve seen schools strengthen their safety plans is by involving the broader community. When parents are informed and understand the “why” behind each measure, they’re more supportive. Similarly, encouraging students to anonymously report concerns promotes vigilance and trust within your school. By engaging everyone, you’re building a culture where safety isn’t something you just talk about, it’s something everyone takes ownership of. Tackling Challenges Head-On Safety planning is not without its challenges. Budgets are tight, and introducing new technology can seem daunting at first and there’s often resistance to change. The key is approaching these obstacles head-on. For example, you might seek out grant opportunities to fund safety programs or collaborate with businesses in your community. One of the ways we work around these challenges at School Gate Guardian is by offering flexible solutions. Schools don’t have to overhaul their infrastructures all at once; instead, they can start small and scale as they go. Our team is here to guide schools through every step, from customizing a solution to training staff and addressing community concerns The Time to Prepare Is Now I truly believe that every school has the ability to foster the safe, vibrant learning environment that all students deserve. By reviewing protocols, integrating modern security solutions, empowering staff through training, and engaging your community, you can take the next step toward creating that environment. At School Gate Guardian, we are committed to partnering with schools to create safer environments. Whether you’re looking to bolster visitor management, streamline hall passes, enhance volunteer oversight, or build out an emergency communication strategy, we’re here to help. About the Author: Amanda Gonzalez has steadily advanced through key roles at School Gate Guardian, showcasing her expertise and dedication to school safety. Beginning her career as a Technical Support Specialist, she excelled at resolving technical issues, configuring systems, and training end users on SGG software. Her leadership as Director of Support further elevated the company’s service quality by enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the support team. Now serving as Director of Sales, Amanda focuses on maintaining strong customer relationships. Passionate about creating safer school environments, Amanda remains committed to delivering SGG’s innovative solutions to meet the unique needs of today’s schools. At School Gate Guardian, we are committed to providing the tools and technology that schools need to protect their communities and keep everyone safe.