The Role of Our Industry in School Security

Football is back, the air is starting to carry hints of autumn, and Mother Nature is slowly preparing her colorful canvas. The kiddos are all back to school, and I find myself struck by a sudden, almost paralyzing realization: next year at this time, my daughter will be one of those children stepping into the world of preschool. Yes, the daughter I wrote about in this blog, seemingly not long ago, will be entering the school system. 

Questions immediately swirl through my mind: Will she make friends? Will she struggle? Will she enjoy this new journey that will become her cyclical routine the next 12-plus years? And then that gut-punch question that every parent/guardian/person-that-loves-a-kid dreads to ask themselves—Will she be safe? 

I won’t spout off the heavy numbers surrounding student safety in our education system. We read the headlines. But I will implore my friends and colleagues in this industry to keep school safety at the top of your lists. We are in an industry that can actively and effectively address this topic. Our industry’s products already are present in these schools and in the lives of our children, teachers and faculty. These products can offer a protective barrier between their world of learning and the world outside. There is improvement that can be made and it must be made by us. 

When we create our new product initiatives and lay out our research and development goals, advancements around shooter-attack products and school safety should be very near the top of that list. We can help drive improvements in securing the entrances and openings within our children’s schools. 

Highlighting the test parameters for some of the ASTM security standards, Lisa May wrote about the importance of school security glazing systems. It was 2023 and ASTM F3561 had just been released. I can’t help but wonder how many of our industry’s products since then have actually been tested to this standard? Are we pushing hard enough and fast enough to provide current and compliant products? Can we do more to legitimately increase safety and security in our children’s schools? 

This is one of those very real examples where we see the purposeful and meaningful impact of our products and our work. While curriculum, friendships and routines will shape our children’s school experience, the very foundation of that experience begins with safety. We cannot afford to view school security as someone else’s responsibility or let progress stall due to complexity or lack of priority. 

Let’s challenge ourselves, and each other, to do better, to innovate with purpose, to test with urgency and to lead with the understanding that lives depend on our products. When my daughter walks through the school doors next fall, I want to know we did everything we could—not just for her, but for every child. Let’s make our work matter in the most meaningful way.