2026 Q2 School Security Intelligence Report
A quarterly executive briefing examining the trends, legislation, research, and practitioner insights shaping the school safety profession.
Every day, school safety leaders are adapting to new legislation, emerging technologies, evolving threats, staffing challenges, and changing community expectations. The question isn’t simply what’s happening—it’s what these developments mean for schools, how practitioners are responding, and what school safety leaders should be paying attention to next.
The School Security Intelligence Report was created to answer that question.
Developed by the National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD) and its official publication, School Security Leadership, this quarterly executive briefing combines nationwide reporting with insights gathered directly from professionals working in the field. It draws on NCSSD member discussions, practitioner interviews, webinars, research, and real-world experiences from districts across the country.
Whether you lead school safety for a district, serve in law enforcement, support emergency management, or help shape education policy, this report is designed to help you stay informed and make more confident decisions.
Q2 At a Glance
During the second quarter, several themes surfaced consistently across the school safety profession. The full report explores each in greater depth through key developments, practitioner perspectives, and related resources.
Prevention & Early Intervention
Implementation, collaboration, and early intervention became central themes as schools focused on strengthening reporting pathways, multidisciplinary teams, and staff buy-in.
Active Threat Preparedness
Conversations emphasized decision-making, realistic training, and age-appropriate drills over scripted responses and competing terminology.
Access Control & Visitor Management
Practitioners reinforced that effective access control depends as much on people, procedures, and everyday operational practices as it does on physical security measures.
Transportation Safety
Transportation planning expanded beyond logistics to include emergency preparedness, communication, campus operations, and coordination with public safety partners.
Technology & Security Investments
Technology evaluations increasingly prioritized operational fit, peer experience, implementation lessons, and long-term sustainability.
The Evolving School Safety Profession
School safety leadership continued to mature through expanding responsibilities, legislative activity, funding, and workforce development.
Stay Ahead of the Trends Shaping School Safety
The insights in this report are informed by the conversations happening every day inside the National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD). By joining the community, you'll gain access to those discussions as they happen, connect with school safety leaders from across the country, and access member-exclusive resources designed to support your work.
As members share challenges and solutions throughout the year, their experiences and perspectives help shape future editions of this report.
Join NCSSD to connect with school safety leaders across the country and be part of the conversations shaping the future of school safety.