From the desk of Jon Akers, Executive Director of Kentucky Center for School Safety As many of you prepare for the start of a new school year, the Kentucky Center for School Safety (KCSS) is pleased to announce a new resource designed to assist school districts in recruiting qualified School Resource Officers (SROs).   After receiving requests from several districts seeking assistance in filling vacant SRO positions, KCSS has added a dedicated page to our website where districts can advertise open...

From the desk of Jon Akers, Executive Director of Kentucky Center for School Safety 2026-2027 Supporting Staff and Students: An Evidence-Based Approach to Suicide Prevention https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dPBJgqj1dwtwcZrpGMCq87YLpY-6TADF/view?usp=drive_link Dear SSC and Superintendents, Above you’ll find the link for the updated resource guide regarding Suicide Prevention for Students and Staff.  Please make sure that all principals and school based mental health staff members receive this email. A special thanks to our friends at the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DBHDID) for providing us with this information. KRS 156.095 requires:All certified school district employees shall receive...

Shared by Christina Weeter, KDE via KYSAFE ListServ See below. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact SchoolSafety@cisa.dhs.gov. July 2026 Your monthly update on school safety resources, events, and grant opportunities. What’s New with SchoolSafety.gov Virtual Training on Preventing Online Child Exploitation (July 23). Ahead of the next school year, join the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on July 23 for a virtual training on preventing and responding to online child exploitation. The session will feature experts from the U.S. Department of...

From the desk of Jon Akers, Executive Director of Kentucky Center for School Safety KCSS will be conducting NEW SSC training on two dates: July 20thor July 27th.  These will be the same sessions.  We wanted to offer two sessions to accommodate hiring schedules. Below are links for your new SSC to register regarding dates and times for this training: TIMES: 9 a.m.-11 a.m. EASTERN TIMENew SSC Training 7/20/2026New SSC Training 7/27/2026 As well get closer to July 20th, I’ll be...

Shared by Amy Riley, KY School Counselor Association via KYSAFE ListServ Turning Down the Heat- Effective De-Escalation Strategies for School Staff Student behaviors can sometimes escalate quickly, leaving school counselors, teachers and administrators feeling powerless in a room full of students.  Turning Down the Heat- Effective De-Escalation Strategies for School Staff explores responses to escalated student behavior, including common mistakes adults make and more effective approaches to de-escalation through a trauma informed lens. Participants will leave with practical, ready-to-use strategies and will...

Shared by Christina Weeter, KDE via KYSAFE ListServ See below.  Please refer any questions to NTAC. From The Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) Special Presentation for the Fall 2026 return to school: NTAC hosts school safety presentation In anticipation of the Fall 2026 return to school, the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) will host a virtual presentation highlighting key findings and implications from its decades of research on school violence. In this training, Dr. Kelsey...