From facilitiesnet
K-12 school security and safety are growing concerns nationwide as facilities teams and administrators face increasing pressure to protect students, staff and visitors while maintaining smooth daily operations.
The 2026 Safety and Operational Readiness Report from Singlewire Software highlights the number of campuses still working to close gaps in preparedness, access control and emergency response. The survey included 511 K-12 school staff members from across the country, including administrators, facilities personnel, IT staff and security teams.
Eighty-six percent of respondents say securing the front entrance is a high or top priority of their school safety strategies, yet only 16 percent believe their schools’ entrances are completely secure. Staffing shortages were identified as the most common challenge by 46 percent of respondents, up from 30 percent in the previous year. Additional concerns include 32 percent citing the inability to restrict access to one entry point, 31 percent citing a lack of understanding of check-in procedures among the school community and 30 percent citing the absence of guest identity verification methods.