Center for Safer Schools

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The North Carolina Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) serves to promote safe learning environments for North Carolina K-12 schools. The Center serves as a hub of information and technical assistance on school safety to faculty and staff, law enforcement, youth-serving community agencies, juvenile justice officials, policymakers, parents/guardians and students.

Center staff focus on school climate, school discipline, and emergency preparedness concerns for North Carolina’s K-12 schools. Staff are available to provide trainings, guidance and technical assistance upon request for school faculty and staff and those working with children and adolescents.

A Message from the CFSS Executive Director

The NC Center for Safer Schools is the state of North Carolina’s clearinghouse for resources and training whose main goal is to maintain our schools as centers of learning and not fear. By building a collaborative and layered approach to school safety, we bring subject matter experts together ranging from mental health professionals to law enforcement/public safety professionals blended with emerging technologies, such as the new Student Safety App. These collaborative efforts are what will help encourage, empower, and sustain our youth and help them to realize they are key participants in the safety of our schools. 

Our outreach and scope are derived from the district level and not from the top down which allows us to provide support across the diverse school districts that make North Carolina great. Our hope is that you find this website informative and helpful as you make use of these resources to foster and maintain a safe environment for our students to learn. 

Karen W. Fairley 
Executive Director, NC Center for Safer Schools 

Mission

Develop and implement strategies to ensure that students are safer in schools.

Vision

All schools in the state are safer, secure and offer an environment conducive to learning.

Who We Serve

NC Center for Safer Schools is a statewide customer-focused school safety and crisis prevention resource for over 2500 public schools.

Programs and Services

CFSS accomplishes its mission by:

  • Education and Training of schools and other stakeholders
  • Receiving consultation and assistance from advisory Task Force
  • Anonymous Reporting
  • Focusing on 6 sub-areas:
    1. Mental Health
    2. Physical Security & Emergency Preparedness
    3. School Climate & Discipline
    4. Substance Use
    5. Gang Intervention
    6. School Resource Officers (SROs)

NC School Safety Grant Program Awards 2022-23

Two hundred school districts and charter schools across North Carolina will benefit from more than $74.1 million in school safety grants announced Oct. 31, 2022, by the Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools.  Learn more about these grants.

Downloadable list of recipients: 2022-23 School Safety Grant Recipients