States and local governments may then provide a portion of this  funding to a range of entities, as specified in DHS’s program guidance. Federal and State Governments Provide Resources to School Districts for Emergency Management Planning, While Only States Have Laws that Require School Emergency Management Planning

Although no federal laws exist requiring school districts to have  emergency management plans, most states reported having requirements  for school emergency management planning; however, the federal  government, along with states, provides financial and other resources for  such planning. However, DHS program  guidance does not clearly identify school districts as entities to which  states and local governments may disburse grant funds. Congress has not enacted any broadly applicable laws  requiring all school districts to have emergency management plans. Federal Agencies and States Provide Funding for School Districts’ Emergency Management Planning

Education and DHS provided some funding to school districts for  emergency management. Although DHS officials told us that these three grant programs allow for  the use of funds at the district or school level, the department’s program  guidance does not clearly specify that school districts are among the  entities to which state and local governments may disburse funds. Federal Agencies and States Provide Guidance, Training, and Equipment for Emergency Management in School Districts

The federal government also provides guidance, training, and equipment to  school districts to assist in emergency management planning (see table 1). Education, DHS, and HHS have collaborated and developed recommended  practices to assist in preparing for emergencies that can be applied to  school districts. Most Districts Have Taken Steps to Prepare for Emergencies, but Some Plans and Activities Do Not Address Recommended Practices

Almost all school districts have taken steps to prepare for emergencies,  including developing written plans, but some plans do not address  federally recommended practices such as establishing procedures for  special needs students and procedures for continued student education in  the event of an extended closure. 2.) Based on our survey, we estimate that 56 percent of school districts do not  include any of the following procedures (see table 3) in their plans for the  continuation of student education during an extended school closure. Fewer than half of school districts with  emergency management plans involve community partners such as the  local head of government (43 percent) or the local public health agency  (42 percent) when developing and updating their emergency management  plans, as recommended by HHS. Specifically, we estimate that 29 percent of all school districts train with  community partners. School Districts Report Challenges in Planning for Emergencies and Difficulties in Communicating with First Responders and Parents

In planning for emergencies, many school districts face challenges  resulting from competing priorities, a lack of equipment, and limited  expertise; some school districts experience difficulties in communicating  and coordinating with first responders and parents, but most do not have  such challenges with students. In an estimated 62 percent of districts, officials cited a lack of equipment  and expertise as impediments to emergency planning. For example,  officials in one Massachusetts school district we visited reported that they  do not have adequate locks on some of the doors to school buildings to  implement a lockdown procedure. Some School Districts Reported Difficulty in Communicating and Coordinating with First Responders

Based on our survey of school districts, an estimated 39 percent of  districts with emergency plans experience challenges in communicating  and coordinating with local first responders.
Why GAO Did This Study

Events such as the recent shootings by armed intruders in schools across the nation, natural disasters, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and potential pandemics have heightened awareness for the need for school districts to be prepared to address a range of emergencies within and outside of schools buildings. Congress has raised concerns over school preparedness, with a particular interest in how federal agencies provide assistance to school districts. This testimony discusses preliminary findings related to GAO's review of emergency management in school districts, including (1) the roles of federal and state governments in establishing requirements and providing resources to school districts for emergency management planning, (2) what school districts have done to plan and prepare for emergencies, and (3) the challenges school districts have experienced in planning for emergencies, and communicating and coordinating with first responders, parents, and students. To obtain this information, GAO interviewed federal officials, surveyed a stratified random sample of all public school districts, surveyed state agencies that administer federal grants that can be used for school emergency management planning, conducted site visits to school districts, and reviewed relevant documents.

What GAO Found

Federal and state governments have a role in supporting emergency management in school districts. While no federal laws require school districts to have emergency management plans, 32 states reported having laws or policies requiring school districts to have such plans. The Departments of Education and Homeland Security (DHS) provide funding for emergency management planning in schools. However, some DHS program guidance, for specific grants, does not clearly identify school districts as entities to which state and local governments may disburse grant funds. Thus, states receiving this funding may be uncertain as to whether such funding can be allocated to school districts or schools and therefore may not have the opportunity to benefit from this funding. States also provide funding and other resources to school districts to assist them in planning for emergencies. School districts have taken steps to plan for a range of emergencies, as most have developed multi-hazard emergency management plans; however some plans and activities do not address federally recommended practices. For example, based on GAO's survey of a sample of public school districts, an estimated 56 percent of all school districts have not employed any procedures in their plans for continuing student education in the event of an extended school closure, such as might occur during a pandemic, and many do not include procedures for special needs students. Fewer than half of districts with emergency plans involve community partners when developing and updating these plans. Finally, school districts are generally not training with first responders or community partners on how to implement their school district emergency plans. Many school district officials said that they experience challenges in planning for emergencies and some school districts face difficulties in communicating and coordinating with first responders and parents, but most said that they do not experience challenges in communicating with students. For example, in an estimated 62 percent of districts, officials identified challenges stemming from a lack of equipment, training for staff, and personnel with expertise in the area of emergency planning as obstacles to implementing recommended practices.