Governor Stitt and Superintendent Walters Statements on School Safety

Oklahoma Leaders Highlight School Safety Initiatives

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – Governor Kevin Stitt and Superintendent Ryan Walters have issued the following statements on school safety in conjunction with highlighting resources available in Oklahoma’s comprehensive school safety initiative:

“I am committed to making sure schools are one of the safest places kids can be. Our Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers have completed extensive active shooter training and troopers all over the state have adopted a school in their county to build relationships and check in on throughout the week. I want to encourage our county and local law enforcement to do the same. We are taking this seriously. Last session, we committed $150 million over the next three years for school safety efforts around the state.” – Governor Kevin Stitt.

“Nothing is more precious than the health, safety, and security of young Oklahomans. Our commitment to keep them safe while in our schools is among our most sacred obligations. That’s why we have developed comprehensive school safety measures put in place to prevent and respond to potential threats.” – State Superintendent Ryan Walters

Highlights of the School Safety Initiative

Prevention: 

1. SDE Safety & Security Team: The OSDE Safety & Security Team has conducted visits to over 400 Oklahoma School Districts. Through the Safety & Security Team, we offer micro- credentialing courses on our Learning Management System platform. These micro-credentials include Behavioral Threat Assessments, Safe and Supportive Schools Program, School Resource Officer training, and Communications in Crisis.
2. Awareity Program: We have implemented an Anonymous Reporting feature on SDE's website through the Awareity Program. This allows students, staff, and the public to report safety and security concerns anonymously.
3. Adopt a School Program: Officers from Oklahoma Highway Patrol and other partnering agencies adopt local schools to provide thousands of hours of physical presence on school premises to further support school safety and security. There are approximately 740 troopers in Oklahoma. Each one will be required to spend one hour a week at a school. This adds up to 18,000 hours of police presence at schools annually.
4. Risk and Vulnerability Assessments: To identify potential risks and weaknesses at individual school sites, OSDE is collaborating with the DPS to provide risk and vulnerability assessments to all public and private primary and secondary schools. These assessments aim to determine risk factors and provide recommendations to enhance site safety.
5. Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management: OSDE’s ongoing training programs for school personnel focus on identifying, investigating, assessing, and managing behavioral threats exhibited by students. The OSDE and DPS are working together to provide comprehensive training to address behavioral threats before they become a danger to the school community.

Response:

1. RAVE Panic Button & Protect OK Apps: School districts across the state utilize the RAVE Panic Button and Protect OK Apps to report active threats to authorities swiftly. All Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) communication centers are directly connected to the RAVE app and are online with 98% of schools in the state. Alerts are transmitted directly to OHP communication centers, enabling emergency responders to be dispatched promptly. Additionally, the Protect OK app is under development to facilitate incident reporting and safety concerns, allowing anyone in the school community to report potential threats.
2. Law Enforcement Active Shooter Emergency Response (LASER) - In collaboration with DPS, we have implemented active shooter training to educate law enforcement personnel on how to respond effectively to an active shooter situation. DPS has 79 instructors and to date, more than 3700 officers have been trained and 250 personnel from outside agencies have received this vital training.
3. Run, Hide, Fight Training: The DPS conducts Run, Hide, Fight Training to empower teachers, students, faculty, and staff with the knowledge and skills to respond to active threats effectively. DPS has 91 Run, Hide, Fight instructors and this training has already been completed for over 4500 individuals, further enhancing our school community's safety preparedness.