Per Utah Code Section 53G-8-701.5, every public primary and secondary school in Utah must designate a School Safety and Security Specialist. These specialists are school employees, such as teachers, school counselors, school psychologists, or school social workers, who are tasked with supporting safety initiatives like behavioral threat assessments.
For the 2025-2026 period, School Safety and Security Specialists are required to attend all annual School Safety Center trainings or watch their recordings. These sessions are hosted via Zoom.
New specialists must view a 30-minute onboarding video before the first training date, while returning specialists may watch it if they choose. The scheduled training sessions include:
October 29, 2025: Organizing an After Action Debrief
January 21, 2026: Emergency Recovery Plans
April 29, 2026: Legislative Updates
Specialists can access training recordings, resources, and follow-up tasks through the FY26 School Safety and Security Specialist Canvas course via an email invitation. Additionally, training recordings are posted to a YouTube playlist as they become available.
Utah law also requires every K-12 public Local Education Agency (LEA) to designate a School Safety and Security Director. A specific form is used for both the designation of specialists and directors.
Local Education Agencies can use the Student Services Training Request Portal to request professional learning and technical assistance from the Utah State Board of Education. This tool helps coordinate support across the state to address LEA needs efficiently.
Information regarding upcoming professional learning, resources, and school safety updates is shared through various listservs and a newsletter distribution list.
