NCSSD Members Share Summer School Safety Strategies During ZeroNow Webinar

Summer school may look different than the regular school year, but according to three National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD) members, the need for planning, communication, and preparedness remains the same.

During a recent ZeroNow webinar, Danielle Stevens, Director of Safety and Security for Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 (Ill.); Solvei Jurmu, Director of Safety and Security for North Shore School District 112 (Ill.); and Randy Braverman, School Safety Coordinator for the North Cook Intermediate Service Center, discussed how districts are approaching summer school and summer programs.

The conversation covered topics ranging from construction projects and temporary staffing to emergency drills, communication with first responders, and the growing number of outside organizations using school facilities during the summer months.

Planning Begins Well Before Summer School Starts

One of the first themes to emerge was the importance of planning early. Stevens explained that her district begins evaluating the next summer almost immediately after the current program concludes through after-action reviews and internal debriefs.

"We're actually concluding our first summer semester, and I'm already taking notes on what could be improved or enhanced for next year."

She also discussed beginning formal planning well before students arrive, allowing time to coordinate staffing, transportation, facilities, equipment, and partnerships with outside organizations.

Summer Changes Operations, Not Safety Expectations

Although summer school often involves different schedules, buildings, and personnel, the panelists said emergency procedures and security expectations remain consistent.

Jurmu discussed the differences between district-operated summer school and programs run by outside organizations, noting that emergency procedures, visitor management, access control, and medical response remain priorities regardless of who is using the building.

"Regardless of who's using the building, the focus is on the people, not the facility itself."

Braverman also discussed the importance of ensuring organizations using school facilities understand the same emergency procedures expected of district employees, including evacuation, lockdown, and visitor management protocols.

He added that his district required organizations renting school facilities to provide security personnel.

"If they're using our facilities, someone needs to be responsible for helping manage an emergency and ensuring established procedures are followed."

Temporary Staff, Contractors, and New Faces

The discussion also focused on the additional people who enter school buildings during the summer, including temporary teachers, contractors, maintenance personnel, and camp staff.

Braverman described meeting with contractors before projects begin to review security expectations and emergency procedures.

"You can have excellent policies and procedures, but if someone props open a door to move equipment, they've undermined your entire security plan."

Jurmu noted that many security lapses are not the result of malicious intent, but of well-intentioned people taking shortcuts.

"Most security vulnerabilities aren't caused by bad people—they're caused by good people taking shortcuts."

Panelists also discussed orienting summer staff to unfamiliar buildings, reviewing emergency procedures, identifying evacuation routes and rally points, and ensuring temporary employees understand district protocols before students arrive.

Reinforcing Preparedness Throughout the Summer

The discussion also highlighted several approaches districts use to reinforce safety throughout the summer.

Braverman shared a simple exercise called "Stop and Think," encouraging staff and students to pause wherever they are in a building and consider how they would respond if they needed to lock down or evacuate.

Stevens described a similar initiative in her district called "What If Wednesdays," in which staff receive a brief weekly scenario designed to encourage critical thinking about potential safety situations and identify areas where additional training may be needed.

The panelists also discussed the role technology plays in supporting school safety.

"Technology should never replace people or training. It should support them."

Stevens discussed implementing technology in ways staff can realistically manage and avoiding unnecessary alert fatigue.

Communication and Coordination

Communication surfaced repeatedly throughout the webinar. Panelists discussed notifying police and fire departments about which schools remain occupied during the summer, establishing clear chains of command, maintaining updated emergency contacts for outside organizations, and ensuring staff understand their responsibilities before an incident occurs.

Jurmu encouraged districts to proactively notify police and fire departments about which schools remain occupied during the summer.

"When I worked in law enforcement, I often assumed schools were empty once the school year ended."

She said that simple communication can help first responders better understand which buildings remain occupied if an emergency occurs.

Continuing the Conversation

While districts may approach summer programming differently, the discussion underscored that planning, communication, and collaboration remain essential regardless of a district's size or structure.

School Security Leadership will soon publish a recap of a recent NCSSD member roundtable, where school safety leaders shared additional perspectives and discussed how they're addressing many of the same issues in their own districts.

Want the full discussion? School Security Leadership subscribers can access the complete webinar transcript below, while the webinar recording is available through ZeroNow.