Your Child's School Has a Safety Plan. Here's What's In It—and How to Get a Copy
California law gives parents the right to review their school’s Comprehensive School Safety Plan—the document that guides everything from lockdowns to family reunification.
California law requires every K-12 public school, including charter, community and court schools, to maintain a Comprehensive School Safety Plan, otherwise known as a CSSP.
Under California Education Code 32280-32289.6, each school must develop, update and publicly review its plan by March 1 of each year and submit it to its local school district or county office of education. The requirement is overseen by the California Department of Education.
Schools must make their CSSPs available for public inspection upon request.
For local information, see Bonita Unified Board Policy 0450, which established the policy for developing Comprehensive Safety Plans (originally adopted June 22, 2016, and revised on Feb. 4, 2026) and the Bonita Unified Administrative Regulation 0450, which provides guidelines for developing and reviewing Comprehensive Safety Plans (originally adopted on June 22, 2026, and revised on Feb. 4, 2026).
The 2021 Educator’s Guide to Comprehensive School Safety Plans, published by the Los Angeles County Office of Education in collaboration with the California Department of Education, Department of Justice, CalOES and other agencies, updates the state’s 2002 Safe Schools: A Planning Guide for Action.
The guide provides step-by-step instructions and a template to help schools complete the required annual safety planning process. It also outlines legislative history, safety considerations, emergency operations planning and related resources.
The California Department of Education provides a Compliance Tool for School Safety Plans (Word Doc) that can serve as a checklist outlining requirements and recommendations for a CSSP.
While each school’s CSSP is tailored to its campus, state law requires that plans address:
- Crime data and campus safety assessments
- Disaster procedures (earthquakes, fires, active threats, etc.)
- Procedures for weapons on campus
- Threat assessment and crisis response
- Tactical response procedures
- Safe arrival and dismissal procedures
- Lockdown and evacuation protocols
Plans must specify trauma-informed approaches if active-shooter drills are conducted. High-intensity drills are prohibited. - Parent notification procedures
- Mental health and intervention strategies
- Anti-bullying and discrimination policies
- Instructional continuity plans during emergencies
- Strategies to improve school climate and student well-being
Plans must also include procedures for notifying teachers and staff about dangerous students and outline how schools will coordinate with local law enforcement and first responders.
The goal: prevent violence, prepare for emergencies and create safe, supportive learning environments.
New Requirements
By March 1, 2026, CSSPs must include procedures for notifying parents and school staff if immigration enforcement is confirmed on campus.
By July 1, 2026, CSSPs must include procedures to address the supervision and protection of children from child abuse or neglect or sex offenses.
Beginning in 2026–27, schools must include evacuation/refuge procedures for wildfire zones.
Who Creates the Plan?
Each school forms a committee (or school site council) which typically includes:
- The principal or a designee
- Teacher(s)
- Classified staff
- A parent or guardian(s)
- (At middle and high schools) students
- A law enforcement representative
Under California Education Code 32281, schools may also invite community leaders, emergency responders, insurance representatives, and others concerned with student safety and crime prevention to participate in the planning process.
This group reviews data, assesses campus risks and recommends updates.
How Often Is It Updated?
Every year.
Schools must:
- Review and update their plan.
- File their plan with the district office.
The school board must approve CSSPs by March 1 of each year.
Parents have the right to review the plan (though some sensitive tactical details may be kept confidential for security reasons).
After each annual review, students, parents or staff may raise concerns about how the plan addresses access or safety issues, and principals can direct modifications.
Why This Matters
Lockdowns, shelter-in-place, or evacuations are actions guided by a state-required framework.
The CSSP shapes:
- How quickly information is shared
- Who makes decisions
- How reunification with families works
- How drills are conducted
- How schools coordinate with local agencies
That should ensure safety procedures are not just reactive—but they are planned, practiced and reviewed annually.
The Bigger Picture
A Comprehensive School Safety Plan isn’t only about emergency response. It also focuses on prevention—improving campus climate, addressing bullying and creating systems that help students feel safe before a crisis happens.
As conversations about school safety continue across California, these plans are the foundation for how schools prepare, respond and recover.
Here’s how to request a copy of your child's school CSSP.
How to Request Your School’s Safety Plan
Step 1: Contact Your School Office
Start with your child’s school. Ask the principal’s office for a copy of the school's current Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP).
Step 2: Ask for the Most Recent Version
Plans must be reviewed and updated annually and adopted by March 1 of each year. Confirm you’re receiving the current school year’s version.
Step 3: Understand What May Be Redacted
Certain tactical response procedures (for example, detailed security protocols) may be removed for safety reasons. That’s allowed under state law.
However, the broader plan—including emergency procedures, communication processes, and prevention strategies—should be available.
Disclosure: La Verne Daily News' editor has children who attend schools in the Bonita Unified School District.
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Staci Baird
Staci Baird
Staci Baird
La Verne Daily News
