For years, school safety conversations have focused heavily on hardware. New locks. New access control systems. New visitor management software. New barriers. New products marketed as the answer to school violence.
A newly released research report from the ALERRT Center at Texas State University offers an important reminder: the effectiveness of school security measures depends less on the hardware itself and more on whether schools consistently and properly use what they already have.
The report examined 54 school based active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2025 and analyzed the role of locked doors and access control systems in both completed and averted attacks.
The findings should reshape how schools think about safety.
The study found that locked and secured doors were associated with fewer casualties. That should not surprise anyone. But one of the most important findings was this: no locking mechanism in the study was mechanically defeated. In every successful breach, the attacker gained access by shooting through glass, not by defeating the lock itself.
Even more significant was the report’s conclusion that the most common failure was not hardware failure. It was human failure. Among the doors with known status during attacks, nearly 62% were unlocked or propped open.
Those finding matters.
Schools across the country continue spending enormous amounts of money on new security technology while often failing to consistently implement the basic measures already in place. A locked door cannot protect students if it is intentionally left open for convenience. A visitor management system cannot stop an intruder if staff members bypass procedures. Security cameras do little good if no one responds to what they show.
The report reinforces something many of us in the field have said for years: school safety is not primarily a hardware problem. It is a culture, training, and compliance problem.
One of the most overlooked findings in the report involves the difference between elementary schools and secondary schools. At elementary schools, attackers were outsiders who had to gain access from outside the building. In high schools and middle schools, attackers were overwhelmingly current students who already had legitimate access to the building.
That distinction is critical.
Many schools continue investing heavily in perimeter security while overlooking the reality that many attackers already belong inside the building. Exterior access control is important, especially at elementary schools, but it is not enough. Prevention efforts must also focus on climate, behavioral observation, trusted relationships, threat assessment, and intervention. You cannot lock out a student who already has a student ID, a class schedule, and access to the hallway.
The report also highlights another uncomfortable reality. Many attackers spent time inside the building preparing for the attack before it began, often in bathrooms or other common spaces. This reinforces the importance of awareness, relationship building, and recognizing concerning behaviors before violence occurs.
To connect the dots, we must first collect the dots.
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the report is that its recommendations are practical rather than theatrical. The researchers emphasize functioning classroom locks, secured exterior doors, glazing improvements, staff training, rapid lockdown capability, and a culture of compliance.
Not gimmicks.
Not fear driven marketing.
Not one size fits all legislative mandates pushed by vendors or advocacy groups.
Real safety is built through layered systems that combine physical security, operational discipline, staff empowerment, relationships, prevention, and training.
The report ultimately reinforces a simple but often ignored truth:
- Security hardware can support safety. It cannot replace culture, leadership, awareness, and human action.
- Schools do not fail because they lack enough gadgets.
- They fail when people stop paying attention to the basics.
GOT MERP?
As you work to close out the school year, this is also an opportunity to strengthen your readiness without adding complexity. I designed the Mobile Emergency Response Plan (MERP) based on more than 30 years in education and law enforcement to give schools immediate, practical access to their emergency procedures—especially during times like this when staffing and routines are constantly shifting. Schools can take advantage of a free MERP test drive through June 30, and in most cases, it can be implemented in just days, not months. I’m also available to walk your team through a live virtual demonstration so you can easily format your MERP to include your school’s emergency plans, and how quickly it can bring clarity and confidence back to your staff.
To help schools experience its value firsthand, I am offering schools the opportunity to test drive the MERP free through June 30 in preparation for the 2026–2027 school year, including free training directly from me on how to effectively implement and use the system within your organization.
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