An Introduction to Safe Schools Week, 2025 

A Letter From Chuck Wilson, Board Chairman for PASS

Dear Colleagues and Partners,

As we begin Safe Schools Week, I want to take this opportunity to share where we stand as an organization and the important progress we are making together. The release of PASS Guidelines Revision 7 reflects the latest thoughts of our committees and councils, and I am confident it will serve as a stronger, more practical resource for schools across the country.

This update incorporates significant advancements:

• A new critical network infrastructure and improved provisions addressing critical network resilience and improved cybersecurity
  
• Reinforced policies on keeping classroom doors closed and locked during instruction
  
• Expanded guidance on secured vestibules and visitor management
  
• Additional detail on interoperability, centralized control centers, and unification of disparate solutions
  
• Expanded requirements and leading practices for panic alarms
  

I want to express my gratitude to the more than 85 subject matter professionals who volunteer across our nine committees and councils. Your time, insight, and dedication allow PASS to remain the most trusted, vendor-agnostic source of school safety guidance in the country, dedicated to providing a standardized technology road map for schools.

In recognition of Safe Schools Week, PASS will be providing daily resources to highlight key practices and reinforce the role each of us plays in supporting safer learning environments for students and faculty. These are opportunities not just to raise awareness, but to equip school leaders and staff with tools they can act on immediately.

At the same time, we must remain clear on our broader purpose. School violence is not something we can — or will — accept as a “new normal.” We reject the idea that these senseless acts of violence are “expected” and “tolerated” in our schools. Together, let us continue to focus on the great work we are doing with proven methods of protecting students while never accepting that these senseless acts of violence will be the norm for our society. 

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to this mission. Together, we are making a measurable difference, and we must continue leading with both urgency and resolve.

With heartfelt appreciation,
Chuck Wilson
Board Chairman
Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS)

About PASS

The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) bringing together expertise from the education, public safety, and industry communities to develop and support a coordinated approach to making effective and appropriate decisions with respect to safety and security investments. You can download the complete PASS Guidelines here, or check out our PASS Safety and Security Checklist for quick tips on how to get started.  These resources—as well as white papers on various topics including barricade devices, lockdown drills, and more—are available at no cost.