How Parents Can Keep Their Students Safe at School

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A student's ability to feel safe at school begins with preparation. Schools do this by working with their emergency managers and the Minnesota School Safety Center to conduct facility assessments, develop emergency operations plans for all types of hazards, and train their school resource officers. Every school has its own unique plan to adequately serve its own unique student and staff population.

Ensuring a student's safety at school takes teamwork. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety encourages families to have a plan to keep children calm and safe should an emergency take place this academic year. A parent's participation is key when it comes to school safety.

• Be familiar with the school's general emergency response plan for a threat or hazard. This information is usually located in the school handbook.
• Talk to your child about the five required lockdown, shelter-in-place, fire and severe weather drills that will occur. 
  
• Review any special needs. For example, if your child has asthma, how would they get their inhaler in an emergency at school? 
  
  

Building Relationships is Key to Keeping Schools Safe

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There's no easy button when it comes to keeping schools and students safe. That's why our Minnesota School Safety Center is working with educators across the state to encourage relationship building ahead of the next worst-case scenario. The key to their work is prevention. This includes building connections among educators, parents, law enforcement and students well before the next emergency.

While violent intruders make the most headlines, schools are also preparing for some more common threats such as weather hazards, fires, chemical spills and bus crashes. Learn more about the important work taking place—even when school isn't in session.​

How We Help Make Schools Safer

​The Minnesota School Safety Center (MnSSC) serves as an essential school safety resource to schools, law enforcement, emergency responders and community partners by providing information, guidance, training, and technical assistance for all-hazard safety planning for schools.

The MnSSC works to: Guide school districts in developing and enhancing emergency plans, assist in the development of all hazard safety plans for schools, and coordinate preparedness activities including prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery with federal, state and local partners. ​