Gov. Lee encourages parents to use SafeTN App for back-to-school

The SafeTN app gives every Tennessean a direct line for confidentially reporting suspicious or concerning activity within schools. Concerns and tips are vetted by law enforcement 24/7 to address circumstances like:

• Violence or assault

• Threats of violence or a planned attack

• Physical injury or harm to self or others

In the coming weeks, the Lee administration will share data and next steps for the Governor’s recent executive order to enhance school safety throughout Tennessee. Additional resources will be provided to parents, schools and law enforcement throughout the fall.

For Parents

The app creates a School Safety Resources and Engagement Guide to provide parents with information regarding how to effectively engage and advocate for safe conditions at their child’s school, including how to report suspicious or concerning activity through the SafeTN App, access mental health resources for their child and inquire about building security and compliance at their child’s school.

It also encourages parents, families and the local community to engage in school safety and partner with law enforcement to promote the habits and practices that help ensure school building security against unauthorized intruders.

By implementing simple practices, such as ensuring a single point of entry and multiple points of exit, securing vestibules and other access points, and reporting suspicious activity, communities have the ability to vastly increase the security of their local school.

For Schools

The app directs Tennessee state agencies to provide additional guidance to help local school districts (LEAs) implement existing school safety law, which requires that each public school conduct an annual school security assessment and submit a school safety plan to the Tennessee school safety center.

This guidance will include:

● An increase in periodic audits of Tennessee local school security assessments and school safety plans, including but not limited to random in-person verification by state officials of a school’s implementation of the approved assessment;

● A set of best practices for school leaders to enhance building security and safety against an unauthorized intruder; and

● Information for district and local government leadership regarding financial resources for school safety available through state programs and the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA).

Updates the state School Safety Plan Template for LEAs to be published no later than July 1, 2022 and include greater detail on:

● A description of deficiencies identified by the LEA when conducting the school security assessment;

● A description of district spending on building security and other school safety initiatives and how such expenditures mitigate the identified deficiencies; and

● Designation of the district’s single point of contact for school safety matters.