2026 Report

The State of Independent School Safety

See how other US Independent Schools are managing their school safety operations and governance. This report was produced by Orah in partnership with ATLIS. Research conducted and analyzed by True North Research.

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What is the independent school safety report?

See how your school compares. The report benchmarks real data from 85 independent schools on drills, student accountability, safety spend, and technology use. If you're making a case to your board or leadership team, this is the data to back it up.
Find the gaps before an incident does. 95% of schools still rely on manual steps to trigger an emergency response. 44% don't confirm an absent student is safe. The report shows where independent schools are most exposed -- and what higher-performing schools do differently.
Make smarter decisions on safety investment. With 54% of school leaders feeling constrained by budget or staffing, this report helps you prioritize. It covers what schools are spending, where investment is growing, and which tools are most associated with schools that rate their safety setup as highly effective.

What does school safety really look like across independent schools in the U.S.?

We surveyed 85 independent school leaders to find out. The result is the State of Independent School Safety 2026 Report -- the most comprehensive look yet at how independent schools are managing student safety, day-to-day and in a crisis.

What's inside:

Why 76% of independent schools dealt with a significant safety incident in the past 12 months
How schools are using technology -- and where the gaps are
Why 54% of school leaders feel constrained by budget, staffing, or time
What the fastest-responding schools do differently
Benchmarks on spend, drills, student accountability, and more

Conducted by True North Research. Co-presented with ATLIS. Based on responses from technology directors, heads of school, and operations leaders across the U.S.

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