Reading the Fine Print: Legal Aid on School Safety


A school administrator’s decision to hire school resources officers or security personnel should be grounded in a solid understanding of the legal requirements, potential liabilities, best practices and available resources.

Questions that superintendents should explore with their school boards and communities include:
» How can school districts and their local law enforcement agencies collaborate to promote school safety?

» What factors should be considered before a school system hires its own security officers or employs sworn police officers from the local police force?

» What issues should be spelled out in a memorandum of understanding before hiring an SRO?

» When may SROs conduct a search of a student’s belongings or an interrogation?

» Should school personnel or SROs be armed?

Guidance for navigating these types of questions and creating answers to them can be found in “Fostering Safer Schools: A Legal Guide for School Board Members on School Safety,” a publication created by the National School Boards Association.

“Preparation is key, as is open communication with school communities, law enforcement and providers of mental and social resources for students,” according to the guide’s foreword. “Our ultimate hope is that in helping schools identify and respond to the legal concerns … they can create school environments that are safe and minimize the harm caused by instances of mass violence.”

In addition, the guide includes sections on supporting students’ emotional and mental well-being, threat assessment, school safety plans, and liability and insurance. A comprehensive list of resources is provided at the end.