By Dr. Tahira A. DuPree Chase
Schools that keep families informed about safety measures create more trust and support. According to Gallup, 44% of K–12 parents fear for their child’s safety at school. These fears can impact issues like chronic absenteeism, academic recovery efforts, student engagement, and more.
To create a culture of safety and help parents feel confident sending their children to school, school leaders must communicate with families about the safety measures that are in place—regularly and proactively, not just in a crisis.
As Superintendent of Schools for Westbury Union Free School District in New York, I understand how important it is to have a comprehensive safety plan. I am an advocate for implementing innovative school safety technology to ensure we’re prepared to respond to any emergency quickly and efficiently—no matter the magnitude.
In fact, my district was one of the first in New York to adopt the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, which equips every administrator, teacher, and staff member with a CrisisAlert panic button worn behind their district ID badge. When activated, the precise location of the emergency leads responders directly to where they are needed.
However, simply having systems in place doesn’t make families feel safer if they aren’t informed. It’s vital to regularly communicate with families about school safety efforts, making sure everyone is aware of the many layers of security in place. This reassurance for families contributes to maintaining good attendance and building stronger, more successful districts.
How to Talk About Safety
According to a recent school safety survey, 84% of educators believe that school safety directly impacts student achievement. Safety is everyone’s responsibility—from custodians to counsellors, teachers to principals.
It’s imperative that school leaders let families know their district is committed to keeping students safe. Here’s how they can start:
- Get Buy-In from Influential Groups: Before rolling out new safety tools like CENTEGIX, we engaged with our staff and union leaders to make sure they were comfortable with and informed about the technology. We also provided demonstrations to help families understand how the system works and how it can save lives.
- Treat Families as Partners in Safety: Families are our partners in educating children. Inviting them to be a part of the school community and encouraging their participation in creating a culture of safety builds trust and confidence in the district.
- Use a Variety of Platforms and Channels for Communication: Social media can be effective for sharing educational messages about technology updates for school safety. Providing regular updates on overall efforts helps keep families informed. Including visuals also helps to make this information more engaging.
- Translate Messages into Families’ Home Languages: Effective communication is inclusive. To reach all families, it’s important to ensure that the message does not get lost in translation.
- Regularly Seek Feedback: Offer opportunities for community members to share their feedback. This allows districts to understand their community, how they can make people feel safer, and how people feel about the overall safety culture.
The Importance of Student Voices
Oftentimes, districts look for feedback from educators, but very rarely do they ask students. In my district, we seek feedback from students through the Superintendent Student Advisory Council (SuperSAC). It allows me to hear directly from students about their experiences, ideas, and concerns. Their voices help guide my decisions and ensure that the work we do as a district reflects what our students truly need.
By listening to students, I can better understand potential safety concerns, whether related to building security, bullying, or emotional well-being. This allows us to take action to create a safer, more supportive environment for every student in our schools.
When children feel safe, they can focus on academic success and social opportunities, and when families are informed, engaged, and included, they’re more likely to feel confident sending their children to school.
Regular communication with families helps support a variety of goals, including improved attendance, stronger community trust, and better academic performance. Building a strong culture of safety means going beyond crisis communications—it’s about everyday transparency and inclusion.
Dr. Tahira A. DuPree Chase is Superintendent of Schools for Westbury Union Free School District, in Westbury, NY. She is a nationally recognized K–12 education leader with 30 years of experience in education. In March 2025, she presented insights on how leveraging school safety can address district-wide challenges with CENTEGIX at the School Superintendents Association (AASA) National Conference on Education.
