School Security Systems
School districts and universities must adhere to the highest standards to provide a safe and secure environment for students, teachers, parents, and staff. These measures involve keeping violence, weapons, and inappropriate behavior away from buildings and school grounds. With outside threats and gun violence becoming more common, it’s vital to implement the most effective security solutions at your institution.
When deciding on a security system for your school, it’s best to leave no stone unturned. Video surveillance and security cameras are growing in popularity as technology advances. A superior campus security system lets you improve accountability and avoid litigation while delivering the highest possible safety levels.
The Importance of School Safety
It’s essential for schools to promote the protection of students and staff from safety concerns like violence, weapons, theft, harassment, and bullying. A comprehensive security system helps to deter this type of behavior by its presence alone on campus. Increasing an institution’s safety and security measures is the first step administrators can take in improving the student experience and outcomes.
Academic performance often correlates with a student’s physical and emotional safety. Students who experience harassment and those who participate in illegal activities are at risk for unsatisfactory performance, poor attendance, or dropping out. Security systems are also vital for preventing misbehavior and identifying inappropriate acts that some students never report.
Common Tips for Keeping Students Safe
1. ID Badges
The idea of having everyone in your school wearing a prominently displayed ID badge may seem a bit overprotective. However, it is a relatively inexpensive and simple tactic that can go a long way toward protecting students. Requiring staff to wear ID badges in view at all times could deter a potential bad actor from attempting to infiltrate the school.
2. Anti-Violence Policies
Violence can escalate very quickly, especially in areas where a lot of young people are congregating in a small space. Schools that implement a zero-tolerance policy towards violence have a much better chance of nipping problems in the bud before they get out of hand.
3. Bully-Proofing Classrooms
Teachers should encourage, or even demand, bully-proofing policies in school. The time of “kids will be kids” is gone. Unfortunately, with all the benefits technology has brought, it has also brought newer, easier, and more damaging ways that students with bad intent can use to hurt their peers. It is absolutely critical that bullying no longer be considered acceptable behavior.
4. Understanding Anxiety, Depression, and Mental Illness
An important school safety tip that many teachers may not consider is being attentive to what may be happening in school with their students. Learn what the signs of mental health issues are and learn to look for them. Talk to your students about these struggles, and whether they or any of their friends at school may be experiencing them.
5. Safe Zones
All students should have a clear understanding of what to do in case of the various emergency situations that may arise during the school day. They should know where to go in case of a fire, power outage, school intruder, or any other potential emergency situation. They should know how to get there and what to do once they arrive.
Educators should drill students on when and how to reach safe zones and parents should verify that the school is enforcing this policy and that their children are adhering to it.
6. Managing Visitors
Keeping track of who comes into the school on a daily basis is important to keep everyone safe. A visitor should have to sign in with some level of personal information.
School Safety Tips for Parents
School safety at both the local and college levels is not as simple as it once was. Today’s parents face a whole new world of challenges and threats to their children’s safety at school that they never had to deal with as children and probably never imagined they would have to deal with as parents.
Bus Safety: A large portion of students ride the bus and while most safety measures are taken care of while aboard, there are additional things you can teach them. Make sure that they always look before crossing the street, and stay three or more steps away from the curb when waiting for the bus. If walking in front of the bus, make sure you’re child is at least 10 feet from the windshield so they can be seen.
Strangers: Kids young and old should always be aware of their surroundings. Always make sure to that your child knows to walk on known streets. If your child thinks they are being followed, encourage them to find trusted people as soon as possible.
5. Safe Zones
Safe Walking Practices: Depending on your child’s age, teaching them about street safety can be perfect during those walks to the bus stop. If your child is old enough to walk alone, make sure that you practice the walking route with them a few times before school begins.
Bike Safety: If you live close to school, chances are your child may ride their bike. Make sure your children know to ride in a single file line and on the right side of the road.
Backpack Pain: A student’s backpacks can bulk up extremely quickly which can lead to back pain. Find a backpack that fits right and try not to overpack to prevent back pain for your child.
Home Alone Tips: If your kids get home before you, there are just a couple of things you can do. One way to ensure their safety is to have them quickly text you when they get home. If they are home every day for a few hours before you, you can notify any stay-at-home neighbors to check up periodically on them.
Types of School Security Systems
The lack of proper security systems has led to many dire consequences in educational facilities worldwide. To combat these risks, administrators must implement adequate measures, like access control systems, theft systems, video surveillance, fire safety, and smoke detectors.
Access Control Systems
One security measure growing in popularity is an access control system. Access control involves securing the perimeter of an institution’s entire campus, including each entry point. These systems use various technologies that allow students and staff to gain entry into specific buildings or areas, like electronic keypads, biometrics, keycards, and more.
An effective access control system identifies where students, staff, and visitors should enter your building, where they should go when inside, and how they should get back out. Several primary benefits of these systems include:
Automation: One of the most advantageous features of an effective access control system is automation. It simplifies the process by allowing you to manage entry into buildings across campus from one remote location. These systems also eliminate the need for security personnel at each entry point.
Activity tracking:The electronic monitoring features allow you to track activity from everyone entering or exiting the facility, including visitors, guests, and workers making deliveries. Whenever a potential problem surfaces, you can recall who accessed your building at any time.
More control over entry: Requiring elements like fingerprints, codes, or keycards to gain entry allows you to control who has access to buildings or specific areas on campus.
Keyless access: Access control systems make keys obsolete, so you’ll never need to worry about an entrance key getting into the wrong hands.
Intrusion and Theft Systems
Commercial alarm systems are among the most popular intrusion and theft prevention devices. They also suit the needs of many schools. Choosing high-performance alarms and locking systems for your institution can go a long way in delivering extra protection, especially during lockdowns or other emergencies.
An effective intrusion system should be easy to install and operate while providing an adequate barrier against break-ins. Many newer theft systems are controllable from one central location or even from the convenience of a smartphone. Some components to prioritize are:
Exterior door locks: Most educational facilities need to follow strict guidelines for exterior building locks. Because many people enter and exit a building daily, these locks must meet specific performance requirements to verify functionality, especially when considering fire regulations.
Interior door locks: Interior door locks are critical for keeping sensitive areas or rooms containing valuables secure, including laboratories, equipment rooms, storage closets, and offices. These locks also play essential roles in classrooms during lockdowns, as teachers or professors need to have quick access in an emergency.

Video Surveillance and School Security Cameras
Many institutions immediately consider implementing security cameras or video surveillance when upgrading an existing security system. Installing video surveillance allows you to monitor who approaches campus from the outside and what happens in specific areas inside. Surveillance cameras can also deter misbehavior from their presence alone, as students are often aware of the devices monitoring them.
Some of the benefits of security cameras include:
Improving monitoring and response times: Video cameras allow security teams to monitor what’s occurring around a school and respond to developing situations accordingly. These solutions provide the ability to see what’s happening in an area without the need for extra security personnel on-site.
Deterring violence, theft, and vandalism: Video surveillance makes it nearly impossible for perpetrators to get away with misbehavior because of the concrete evidence. Installation alone is often enough to decrease property damage, personal threats, and theft.
Enhancing access security: Security cameras can assist in access control by providing visual evidence when someone misuses an access token like a badge or keycard.
Smoke Detector Systems and Fire Safety Rules for Schools
Fire alarms and smoke detectors have come a long way since the conventional pull-handle models from years ago. Many of today’s fire detection systems and alarms alert fire departments and security centers at the first sign of smoke or carbon monoxide. Many school districts require strict implementation of standardized devices and methods, including the correct evacuation procedures and smoke alarms that meet specific criteria.
Depending on the school and the potential hazards, some state and federal laws require installing fire suppression devices, sprinklers, alarms, and extinguishers. Additionally, many institutions require that students and staff undergo fire safety and evacuation training. Knowing what to do in the case of an emergency is sometimes one of the most beneficial elements of fire safety.
How to Choose the Most Effective Security System for Your School
All institutions are unique, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for security. Small, rural schools have different requirements than highly populated schools in urban areas, just like college campuses and elementary schools have contrasting needs. However, many of the factors you should keep in mind when choosing the most effective security measures for your institution are the same. Consider the following steps.
1. Conduct a Risk Assessment and Security Audit
A risk assessment for your school should involve a systematic inspection that identifies all potential hazards to the facility. It should also evaluate any existing safety measures that are in place. These assessments are vital for providing safe, healthy environments for students, faculty and staff. Many of today’s innovative assessment programs are software-based, making it easier to ensure you address each potential risk.
2. Check Local and State Regulations
Many states have strengthened school security measures at all educational levels by requiring emergency drills, safety plans, and response strategies against misbehavior and violence. Specific rules vary by state. Staying up to date on these regulations is essential for maintaining compliance.
The Federal Commission on School Safety exists to recommend policies and procedures for schools, colleges, and universities across the country, giving each state, county, and locality the freedom to choose the best practices for their institutions.
3. Explore Grant Options for School Safety
Lawmakers continue to pass bills that grant funding for educational institutions at every level to put the most beneficial safety practices in place. Many of these grants provide schools with funding to increase the effectiveness of their existing security measures, including training and education, coordination with local law enforcement, and implementation of technology like metal detectors, alarms, locks, and other deterrents to violence. You can use an online grant finder tool to explore funding opportunities that may be available to your school.
4. Provide Security System Training to Faculty and Staff
Because each institution is different, there’s no universal security solution for every school. Each facility has specific requirements, so all teachers and staff must familiarize themselves with the appropriate emergency policies and procedures. These procedures can involve a teacher’s role during an emergency or guidelines for providing training and awareness to students.
Security training may include seminars, presentations, or informal workshops designed by administrators or school boards. Guest speakers or presentations from field experts can provide additional awareness and insight.
5. Implement an Alarm Monitoring Service to Contact Authorities
An alarm monitoring system acts quickly to alert authorities when a potential break-in or other emergency happens. When a disturbance occurs at your institution, live operators will respond to the situation immediately and alert the appropriate authorities. Schools can also combine these services with existing systems like access control and environmental control to offer additional protection against intrusion or fire. Alarm monitoring services can link with motion sensors, burglar alarms, and video surveillance to provide the fastest response times.
Contact Logon Technologies to Help Design and Integrate a Secured School Today
At Logon, our goal is to provide superior security systems while offering industry-leading insights that keep your students, faculty, and staff safe. We take pride in providing the market’s most comprehensive security solutions, including access control systems, video surveillance, intrusion, car park management systems, Fence systems and theft devices, and fire safety systems. We design & Build campuswide security systems in-house. Contact us today logon@logon.ng , 080330 39309, 08108109975