(INDIANAPOLIS) - Nearly 1,000 school leaders from across Indiana gathered earlier this month for the state's first-ever School Safety Summit, marking a major push to strengthen how schools identify and respond to potential threats.
The two-day event, hosted by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, brought together officials from 380 school corporations and centered on Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management, a team-based approach designed to spot warning signs early and prevent violence before it happens.
Indiana law already requires every school district to have a multidisciplinary threat assessment team made up of administrators, counselors, mental health professionals, special education staff and law enforcement. The summit focused on improving how those teams work together and involve families in prevention and support.
The event follows the creation of the Indiana Office of School Safety in 2025 as part of Gov. Mike Braun's public safety agenda. State leaders say the summit is intended to help schools better share information, strengthen collaboration and build consistent safety practices statewide.
Sessions covered topics ranging from warning signs of school violence and special education considerations to legal issues and prevention strategies. National school safety experts and prevention specialists led discussions throughout the conference.
State officials say the summit is expected to become a recurring event as Indiana continues to expand its focus on proactive school safety efforts.