Audit shows most Arizona schools failing safety plan standards

By Stacy Mantle
Mail

More than two decades after Arizona first required schools to adopt Emergency Operations Plans, a new state audit shows many campuses remain dangerously unprepared for active shooter events, natural disasters and other emergencies.

“Of the 47 schools that were audited, three didn’t have a plan at all,” said Mike Curtinbach, director of school safety at the Arizona Department of Education, who presented the findings to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. “The remaining 44 had plans, but none technically passed. The highest score was 17 out of 30 required standards.”

Standards for EOPs are jointly developed by the Arizona Department of Education and the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. They are intended to ensure schools can both prevent and respond to emergencies, from lockdowns to evacuations.

“Schools are regularly reviewing the most effective ways to protect their students based on each of their specific communities’ needs," said Jimmy Arwood, director of governmental relations at Arizona School Boards Association. "The safety challenges that a school faces in Holbrook may be different than a school in Phoenix."

Uneven compliance, weak oversight

The audit revealed that compliance varies widely between districts. Wealthier schools tend to have updated plans and training protocols, while under-resourced districts often rely on outdated documents or lack coordination with local police and fire departments.

“This lack of preparedness leaves students and educators vulnerable — not just in high-profile crises, but in everyday safety risks,” Curtinbach said.

Currently, the state does not consistently monitor whether schools are meeting minimum standards. Without enforcement, even long-standing requirements are often ignored. 

“Every state handles this a little differently,” said Dr. Justin Heinze, associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and co-director for National Center for School Safety. “There isn’t one national playbook, just a shared expectation that every school has an emergency plan in place. What we try to do is make that easier — giving districts templates and examples they can adapt, and encouraging them to review those plans every year with a team that understands both education and safety. A good plan should be a living document.”

Emergency impacts on absenteeism and mental health

Beyond logistics and drills, experts say the true test of an Emergency Operations Plan is how well a district helps students recover and return after a crisis. Chronic absenteeism often spikes in the weeks following on-campus incidents, even minor ones, as students struggle with fear, disrupted routines or grief.

A 2023 Helios Education Foundation report found that students who experience traumatic events at school are, "twice as likely to miss 10 or more days in the following semester." Yet, few Arizona districts include a post-crisis recovery annex in their EOPs that addresses trauma counseling, classroom reintegration or communication with families about mental health resources.

Research shows a direct connection between trauma and attendance. Students who experience Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) — such as exposure to violence, neglect, family instability or community trauma — are significantly more likely to miss school. Those who experience four or more ACEs are nearly three times as likely to be chronically absent, according to the CDC. 

“Mental health shouldn't be an afterthought,” said Heinze. “By the time a crisis hits, it’s too late to start building a recovery plan. Schools should be thinking from day one about who their mental-health partners are and how those professionals will support students and staff afterward.”

Integrating behavioral-health recovery into safety planning isn’t just compassionate — it’s preventative. Districts that partner with county health departments and nonprofits for trauma-informed training report faster attendance rebounds and stronger student trust.

Calls for stronger state leadership

Advocates say the findings highlight a need for Arizona to do more than fund officers on campuses. Robust safety requires that every school have a living, tested plan that staff and students understand.

"School districts are already maximizing the dollars that are provided to them for school safety. As additional needs are identified by our schools and the auditor general, those needs will require additional funding and our schools are consistently requesting and welcoming those additional resources,” Arwood said.

Solutions proposed by school safety experts include:

• Making EOP compliance a funding condition for state safety grants.
• Establishing a statewide monitoring and training program.
• Offering targeted support to rural and under-resourced schools to build capacity.

The audit underscores the urgency of addressing school safety at a systems level, not just through personnel. As lawmakers weigh Superintendent Tom Horne’s request for $180 million to expand armed officer presence, advocates argue that planning gaps must also be addressed.

Until Arizona invests in consistent oversight and support for emergency planning, students and educators will remain at risk — no matter how many officers are stationed on campus.

“If schools can’t pass a basic safety audit, then we are failing kids long before a crisis begins,” Curtinbach said.

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.