How this rural Indiana district transformed school security

When Superintendent Jeremy Gulley watched the tragic events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School take place on TV on February 14, 2018, the retired Indiana National Guardsman had been the leader of the Jay School Corporation, a public school district in Portland, Indiana, for just a year and a half. “I recognized that I had tremendous responsibility, opportunity, and resources to address the moment,” he says.

Jay School Corporation (Ind.) Superintendent Jeremy Gulley led a security transformation in his district using resources from the nonprofit Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS).Gulley sat in his home office, a converted barn in rural Indiana, and hammered out a revised safety strategy for his district, thinking about basic concepts of layered security and simple terms like deterrence, detection, denial, and defeat. His research led him to the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) framework, a layered approach that provided a continuum for assessing schools’ physical security and strategically identifying areas for investment to improve implementation of its tiers.

And then, Gulley – with his unique perspective, shaped by a quarter-century of military service, including two deployments to combat zones as an Indiana National Guardsman – posted his thoughts on the school district’s Facebook page.

Opportunity for change

The initiative received significant media attention and community engagement. “The fear and carnage, particularly after the Parkland tragedy, were palpable, weighing heavily on parents’ minds, and everyone understood that a significant change was needed,” he says. “I recognized this fear and concern and knew that true leadership involves guiding people toward a vision they may not yet see, especially when it’s necessary. I wanted to make a connection between that fear and the opportunity for positive change.”

After receiving a strong and supportive reaction, the decision was made to present the plan directly to the community and ask a simple question: Did these security recommendations move the school district in the right or wrong direction? The response, from hundreds of people in the small rural community, was overwhelmingly positive, with a 90-95% approval rate.

A meeting of the countywide school safety team was convened. This team, as mandated by Indiana state law, included representatives from the school districts within the county, along with first responders such as the county sheriff, police chiefs, fire chief, and representatives from the juvenile justice system. The proposed school safety plan and the long-term plan, expected to be implemented over the coming months and years, were presented, encouraging questions, input, and comments – creating engagement that resulted in valuable feedback. The strategy, having already garnered local and regional media attention, was subsequently placed on the school board meeting agenda. 

As implementation began, the national media took notice. Some elements sparked more controversy than others, but as Gulley says, “We had no political intent. One side would say, ‘Do this, and don’t listen to that.’ The other side said, ‘Do that, but don’t listen to this.’ We listened to all of it and did it all. As a result, we got people from a wide spectrum — political and cultural — to come together on a very simple thing: school safety.”

Securing funds

To build momentum, inspire confidence in parents and the community, and demonstrate that real action was being taken, half a million dollars were allocated. In a county of 20,000 people, with 3,000 students in its schools (the fifth largest rural district in Indiana by size), this amount was a significant investment. Within weeks of the security strategy announcement, the team secured a low-interest loan through the Indiana Common School Fund, a state program that allows school districts to access credit at very low interest rates, typically for technology acquisitions like computers. However, a provision within the program also allowed for its use for school safety initiatives.

The funds allowed for the purchase of physical security items, and security enhancements were implemented all at once across all schools, rather than in a school-by-school approach. Additional funding came from state-specific programs such as the Indiana Secured School Safety Grant, as well as a significant private philanthropic donation for mental health initiatives, which enabled the establishment of an on-site mental health clinic to provide services to students and their families at no cost. The team also utilized federal and private sector grants.

A rural district of Jay County’s size lacks the resources for a full-time security director in an operation center, so their core leadership team, which included school administrators and the elected sheriff, played a crucial role in bringing the strategy to fruition. The district was also able to hire a full-time school resource officer, thanks to the cooperation of the countywide school safety team. 

Balancing security with culture

Significant progress was made, with some changes happening immediately, and others taking months or years. The goal was to enhance security while preserving the culture of the schools. Many of the crucial security improvements still operate behind the scenes, often playing a preventive role. The PASS Guidelines were utilized, helping strike a balance between effectiveness and a healthy school culture. Continuous surveys and meetings with parents and other stakeholders enabled the community to give input. 

A variety of new measures

The district, which consists of five elementary schools and one junior-senior high school, reconfigured buildings where the main office was in the middle of the school, because that meant any visitors could get full inside access before signing in, which is a security risk. Other new security measures included metal detectors, a school resource officer, and wearable panic buttons that allow staff members to signal an emergency in seconds (as proposed by “Alyssa’s Law” and reported on CNN).

The district also doubled surveillance cameras, reconfigured room signs, and color-coded hallways to better direct police responding to a threat. Additionally, the district has implemented an anonymous threat reporting app called Say Something from Sandy Hook Promise. The app has received more than 500 tips since it was put in place, and the district says that it has saved lives.

“The biggest obstacle was the complexity of the work and the ability to maintain focus, especially as crises come and go, causing people to revert to their normal patterns,” says Gulley. “This kind of work requires a lot of sustained commitment over time to make meaningful changes, rather than just engaging in what some call ‘security theater,’ which involves rolling out buzzwords and fads to create the illusion of progress. Our approach was — and still is — very sustained and disciplined, with clear objectives over time and a well-defined end state of what we expected to achieve.”

Understandably, Gulley receives calls from superintendents across the country seeking to emulate their successful practices. “While we always welcome those who want to help, we emphasize that we are not experts in the traditional sense; rather, we consider ourselves good students who are always learning,” says Gulley. “Our schools may not appear vastly different from others, but much of our effective work happens behind the scenes. We actively share what we know and also learn from others."

Gulley's top five recommendations district leaders should consider:

1. Anonymous Reporting Systems: Establishing anonymous reporting systems is crucial, allowing individuals to communicate concerns about potential threats or crises. These systems can be monitored continuously and have been shown to save lives in unexpected situations, including drug overdoses, mental health crises, and even potential school shootings. Preventing tragedies before they escalate is essential for school safety.
2. Trained Threat Assessment Teams: It’s vital to train threat assessment teams composed of school security experts. These teams assess and respond to threats effectively, collaborating with local law enforcement or school resource officers. This partnership empowers school leaders to handle potential crises with confidence and readiness.
3. Crisis Response Systems (Alyssa's Law): Schools need a well-structured crisis response system that enables immediate communication of threats and responses to the entire school community. This ensures that every employee is equipped to take appropriate action, such as initiating lockdown procedures, while maintaining direct communication with 911 dispatchers for swift police notification.
4. Full-Time School Resource Officers (SROs): Having full-time school resource officers in every school is essential. While the concept of SROs may not have been widely recognized two decades ago, their presence is now considered a critical component of school safety. Many schools still lack full-time SROs, highlighting the need for districts to prioritize this resource.
5. Partnership Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS): Schools should consider becoming a nonprofit partner of PASS. Many school leaders may feel overwhelmed by the complexities of ensuring safety and may hesitate to tackle issues they feel unqualified to address. Utilizing PASS’ frameworks and resources can empower school safety teams, offering structured processes to enhance their effectiveness and confidence in managing safety concerns.

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. Download the complete PASS Guidelines here, or check out the 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.