(Washington, DC) – Today, at the annual Citywide Campus Safety Summit, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) announced the launch of the DC School Safety Office (DC SSO), the District’s first centralized hub for coordinating school safety supports across DC Public Schools (DCPS), Public Charter schools, private and parochial schools. The DC SSO partners with agencies from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (DMPSJ) and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services (DMHHS) to help schools prevent crises, respond more effectively when concerns arise, and connect students and families to support before issues escalate.

More than 40 states have established a statewide school safety office. The DC SSO adapts this national best practice to DC’s unique educational landscape, where dozens of local education agencies (LEAs) and private school systems operate within a compact geographic area and often serve overlapping communities.

“When a school is facing a safety concern, getting help shouldn’t depend on who you know or which sector you belong to,” said Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn. “The School Safety Office gives schools a single place to turn for support, whether that’s accessing behavioral health services, implementing safety procedures, conducting school safety assessments, or coordinating with public safety partners. By bringing education, public safety, and health and human services agencies together, we’re making it easier for schools to provide students and families with the help they need and strengthening school safety across the District.”

DME created the DC SSO in response to recommendations from the School Safety Enhancement Committee’s 2024 report, “Strengthening School Safety in Washington, DC.” School leaders identified several opportunities for improvement, including better access to behavioral health professionals for risk assessments, consistent coordination of student reentry after crises, and working together to provide Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for common safety scenarios.

Operating through DME in partnership with health, human services, and public safety agencies, the DC SSO takes a public health approach to school safety. The office works with schools and agency partners to identify the root causes of safety concerns, coordinate interventions, and connect students and families with available support before situations reach a crisis point.

Services currently available through the DC SSO include:

• School Safety Line: Schools can call 211 and ask for the School Safety Office to report non-emergency safety concerns and connect to citywide services and supports through the Department of Child and Family Services’ 211 Warmline.
• Model Standard Operating Procedures: Twenty-four standardized procedures covering topics such as lockdowns, reunification, mandatory reporting, and court-involved youth enrollment are available for schools to adopt and adapt.
• School Safety Inventories: A triennial assessment process that identifies individual school safety needs while also surfacing neighborhood-level trends across school communities. To date, 37 inventories have been completed across four communities, with a goal of assessing 75 to 100 campuses annually on a three-year cycle.
• Community-Based Communication Channels: Real-time, non-emergency coordination between school safety teams, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and Safe Passage teams. These channels currently operate in Congress Heights/Bellevue/Washington Highlands and Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant/Park View and will expand to additional communities by the end of School Year 2026-2027.

By the start of 2026-2027 School Year, the DC SSO will also launch a School Safety Artificial Intelligence (AI) Assistant, a 24/7 tool built on a vetted, DC-specific knowledge base to help school staff quickly access safety protocols, behavioral health resources, and school safety guidance. Every response will be traceable to a source document uploaded by the DC SSO. The tool reflects the best current use of AI in government: aggregating trusted, publicly available information from multiple sources into a single, easy-to-use platform that helps users quickly find the information they need. The tool does not collect, store, or process personal or student- or school-level data.

The work of the DC SSO is guided by the School Safety Advisory Group, a standing body of agency and school leaders that reviews guidance, helps identify emerging needs, and informs the office’s priorities and implementation efforts.

The DC SSO will support all District schools through a coordinated approach that strengthens prevention, improves communication, and expands access to services. By connecting schools more effectively with public safety, behavioral health, and community resources, the office aims to create safer learning environments for students, educators, and families across the District.

For more information, visit dme.dc.gov/school-safety or to request direct assistance or guidance, call 211 and ask for the DC School Safety Office.