K-12 School Safety Trends Report Shows Training, Technology Are Saving Lives

CENTEGIX, the industry leader and most widely adopted wearable safety technology provider for K-12 education, today released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, the only comprehensive and data-rich analysis of school safety available in the wearable panic button market.

The report identifies and outlines the top tech and legislative movements relevant to school safety in the U.S. and draws on data collected in the 2024/2025 school year through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, including more than 265,000 incidents of CrisisAlert use. CENTEGIX solutions are utilized by 800+ school districts nationwide, including 71 of the 250 largest U.S. school districts. The flagship of the CENTEGIX Safety Platform is CrisisAlert, a wearable panic button solution with dynamic incident mapping. Safety Blueprint™ displays digital campus maps and school safety assets and provides real-time locating features for incident response and Visitor Management, which CENTEGIX recently innovated to offer more check-in versatility and efficiency.

Key 2025 Report Findings Include:

  • Most Safety Incidents Occur Outside of the Classroom, Underscoring the Importance of Campus-Wide Coverage — Nearly 60% of incidents occurred outside the classroom—in spaces like hallways, parking lots, and sports fields—highlighting the importance of precise location information in reducing response times. And in situations when a campus is under threat, the need for dense coverage of multi-sensory emergency notifications maximizes adherence to safety protocols.
  • Data-Informed School Safety Decisions Are Driving Positive Change — Districts are leveraging alert data to reduce suspensions, optimize staffing, deploy resources, guide professional development, and build community trust. Behavioral incidents accounted for 88% of all alerts, reinforcing the system's value in managing day-to-day safety. In Missouri's Normandy Schools, for example, suspensions dropped by 81% over three years, a shift attributed to proactive, data-informed de-escalation supported by CENTEGIX insights.
  • Digital Mapping Legislation Is Accelerating Nationwide — With 23 states passing or introducing legislation mandating digital campus mapping, more district leaders and legislators are recognizing the value of precise location information in improving emergency response times and situational awareness for responders. Studies have shown that a significant number of life-threatening emergencies occur on school campuses each year, highlighting how critical it is for first responders to have situational awareness of the location of the emergency and the nearest safety devices.
  • Integrated Safety Systems Are Now Expected — Districts and policymakers are demanding interoperable safety solutions that work seamlessly to facilitate a safety ecosystem, from visitor management solutions and access control to video surveillance and intercoms.
  • "We're working with hundreds of K-12 districts across the country to protect schools by providing the most comprehensive, proven safety technology every day," said Brent Cobb, CEO of CENTEGIX. "Superintendents are increasingly framing safety as a strategic priority and the foundation of an environment conducive to teaching and learning. The CENTEGIX Safety Platform with CrisisAlert wearable panic button technology is more than just a solution to compress time in emergency response—it supports every stakeholder, from teachers to administrators to school resource officers, in doing their jobs more confidently and efficiently."

Featured

  • Electrified Latch Retraction Locks Key Benefits for Retrofits

    Building owners and facility managers increasingly rely on electrified hardware to enhance security while meeting accessibility standards. Among these technologies, electrified or motorized latch retraction locks are especially effective for retrofit projects where existing door and frame conditions complicate upgrades. Latch retraction capable locks combine security, accessibility and code compliance benefits, making them ideal for retrofitting fire-rated and non-rated openings in schools, healthcare facilities, commercial buildings and more. Read Now

  • How Cloud Security Solutions Are Transforming Campus Safety

    Campus administrators today face a challenging mandate: deliver stronger security across their facilities while working within tighter budget constraints. From school districts focused on student safety to hospitals protecting patients and staff, the question remains the same: how do you build security infrastructure that evolves with your needs without requiring massive capital investments? Read Now

  • Rethinking Campus Security From the Inside

    For decades, campus security strategies focused on keeping threats outside school walls. But since the tragedy at Columbine High School, data has shown that many attacks begin inside the building, often in classrooms and corridors. This shift has prompted schools to rethink security from the inside and place greater emphasis on interior elements such as classroom doors. This shift is evidenced by a new generation of classroom door systems engineered to delay inside intruders and an ASTM standard that raises the bar on how these systems must be designed to defend against attack. Read Now

  • AI in Security: Advancing Campus Safety and Considerations for Implementing

    Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to capture attention across every sector, and the physical security industry is no exception. Once seen as experimental, AI-enabled analytics now underpin how organizations monitor environments, detect threats, and make decisions. What was once futuristic is now a practical necessity for safety professionals managing growing volumes of data, tighter resources, and increasing expectations for faster, more accurate responses. Read Now