Safety Survey

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, all public schools are required through legislation to conduct an annual school safety audit in order to assess safety conditions. As a means for collecting individual school safety audit information, the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS) annually administers the School Safety Survey. This web-based survey provides all public schools (K-12) with a standardized report format for conducting and submitting audit information to VCSCS.


Authority

According to the Code of Virginia § 22.1-279.8 (School safety audits and school crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plans required) and § 9.1-184 (Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety created; duties):

  • The Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety shall develop a list of items to be included in the school safety audits and shall prescribe a standardized report format for school safety audits.
     
  • Each local school board shall require all schools under its control to annually conduct school safety audits.

For purposes of the School Safety Survey requirement, a school is defined as: "Any separate physical structure that houses and instructs public school students during school hours."


2023 School Safety Survey

Timeline

The 2023 School Safety Surveys will be available May 15, 2023. Completion of the school and division surveys are components of the legislative requirement for the annual Safety Audit, and is reflective of practices and protocols in schools during the 2022-2023 school year.

  • April - July: Principals and division personnel should begin to collect the data necessary to complete the survey utilizing the School Guidance Document and the Division Guidance Document.
  • Starting May 15, 2023: Principals should complete the survey within one month of the last day of the 2022-2023 school year.
  • Due August 31, 2023:  Upon the completion of all school surveys in a division, the division survey will be made available and must be completed no later than August 31, 2023.

Principals - School Safety Survey

School Guidance Document: Principals should review school survey instructions and questions for the School Safety Survey in the guidance document prior to completing the survey.

Note: The school division superintendent reserves the right to require additional school safety audit processes to be completed within the division. Please check with the division superintendent or division safety audit contact person to determine if there are additional division requirements.


Superintendents - Division Safety Survey

Division Guidance Document: Superintendents or designees should review the division survey instructions and questions in the guidance document prior to completing the survey.


Other Resources

Frequently Asked Questions


Contact Information

safetyaudit@dcjs.virginia.gov

Nikki Wilcox, School Safety Audit and Climate Survey Coordinator
804.786.3923
Email Nikki

Dannie Anderson, Data and Resource Coordinator
804.786.5367
Email Dannie

James Christian, Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety Manager
804.357.0967
Email James