As we reach the midpoint of summer break, it is easy to become complacent about school security. After all, students are not in the building. Why worry about school safety now?
As a former school resource officer, I know how quiet school buildings become during the summer months. Although security receives less attention this time of year, summer is actually one of the best opportunities to strengthen school safety before the first bell rings in the fall.
Without the demands of daily instruction, schools can complete maintenance, review procedures, test equipment, and make improvements that are difficult to accomplish during the school year. Many of these efforts require more planning than funding and can significantly improve school security.
One of the most effective ways to improve school security is to address routine maintenance items that often get postponed during the busy school year.
A proactive CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) approach can reduce security risks at relatively little cost. Walking each facility with a security mindset often reveals simple issues that can create unnecessary vulnerabilities.
Look for items such as:
Doors that do not latch or lock properly. Secure doors are the foundation of access control. During the summer, malfunctioning doors can invite vandalism, trespassing, and theft. Repairing them before students and staff return ensures the building is secure when the school year begins.
Damaged door hardware. Worn hinges, panic hardware, door closers, and magnetic hold-open devices can prevent doors from operating correctly. Routine maintenance helps ensure doors perform as intended during both daily operations and emergencies.
Burned-out exterior lighting. Good lighting improves visibility, supports security cameras, and discourages criminal activity. Replacing failed fixtures also reinforces that the campus is actively maintained, a principle closely associated with the Broken Windows Theory.
Broken fencing or gates. Well-maintained perimeter fencing establishes clear property boundaries and reinforces a sense of ownership. Repairing damaged sections and clearing vegetation can discourage trespassing while helping keep unwanted animals off campus.
Overgrown landscaping. Trees, shrubs, and other vegetation should not block sightlines or create hiding places. Routine landscape maintenance improves visibility across the campus and supports natural surveillance.
Worn or confusing signage. Clear wayfinding helps new students and visitors navigate campus while reducing the likelihood they will enter restricted or unsupervised areas.
These may seem like routine maintenance items, but each plays an important role in controlling access and supporting emergency response. Addressing them during the summer often produces meaningful security improvements without major capital investments.
Summer is also an excellent time to review who has access to your schools. As staffing changes throughout the year, access permissions can become outdated. Whether your district uses traditional keys, electronic credentials, or both, periodic reviews reduce unnecessary risk.
Confirm that:
Former employees no longer have building access. Collect keys and access cards when employment ends, and immediately deactivate any credentials that are not returned.
Vendor and contractor access is limited. As a security assessor, I have often been granted electronic access while conducting assessments. Districts should establish procedures requiring temporary credentials to be returned and deactivated once work is complete. Contractors who require broader access should be escorted whenever practical.
Visitor procedures are consistent across all campuses. District administrators should periodically review access control policies together to ensure visitors encounter consistent procedures throughout the district. Consistency reduces confusion during normal operations and emergencies alike.
Security technology is only valuable when it works as intended. Summer provides an ideal window to test systems before buildings become fully occupied again.
Review:
Security cameras and recording systems. Cameras deter misconduct and provide valuable evidence after incidents involving vandalism, theft, bullying, and other safety concerns. Summer is an ideal time to verify that cameras and recording systems are functioning properly and to assess each camera's field of view to ensure there are no coverage gaps or blind spots that could leave critical areas unmonitored.
Intercoms and public address systems. Every classroom speaker should be tested to verify that announcements and emergency messages can be heard clearly throughout the building.
Duress alarms. Test panic alarms while buildings are largely unoccupied. Coordinate testing with your emergency communications center so dispatchers can verify that alarms are received correctly and accurately identify the location of each activation.
Emergency notification systems. Test communications sent through email, text messages, digital signage, and other notification platforms to ensure parents, staff, and students can be reached when needed.
Summer testing provides technology staff time to resolve deficiencies before the school year begins and helps identify equipment that should be included in future capital improvement plans.
Emergency plans should evolve as schools change. Building renovations, staffing changes, enrollment growth, and new programs may all require updates to emergency procedures.
Summer provides time to review lockdown, evacuation, shelter-in-place, severe weather, medical emergency, and family reunification plans without disrupting instruction. Updated floor plans should also be shared with local first responders, so they have accurate information during an emergency.
Just as important, staff should understand their roles before students return. Summer meetings and professional development sessions provide an ideal opportunity to review emergency procedures, clarify responsibilities, and introduce new employees to district safety expectations. Even brief refresher training can improve confidence and coordination.
Once immediate maintenance items have been addressed and operational procedures reviewed, summer is also a good time to consider long-term security planning.
A comprehensive threat, risk, and vulnerability assessment provides an objective evaluation of a school's physical security, operational procedures, emergency preparedness, and overall resilience. While not every district has funding for a formal assessment each year, understanding where the greatest vulnerabilities exist helps prioritize future investments and supports long-term capital planning.
School districts should also explore available funding opportunities. Agencies such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offer grants for school security improvements. School officials can start by using the school safety grant finder tool to identify funding opportunities. Even if a formal assessment is not feasible today, planning for one in the future can help ensure security investments are made strategically rather than reactively.
Summer gives school leaders a valuable opportunity to strengthen security before students return. By addressing maintenance issues, reviewing procedures, testing technology, and preparing staff, districts can begin the school year with greater confidence.
Not every improvement requires a major investment. Many of the most effective security enhancements involve thoughtful planning, routine maintenance, and consistent operational practices. Taking advantage of the quieter summer months helps create a safer, more welcoming environment where students and educators can focus on learning from the very first day of school.