Introducing the Kansas Safety Institute: A New Statewide Partner for Safer Schools
Keeping students safe has never been more important, or more complex. Today's school safety challenges require more than emergency plans, cameras, drills or compliance requirements. Effective school safety depends on strong relationships, coordinated systems and a commitment to prevention, intervention, response and recovery.
KASB is proud to introduce the Kansas Safety Institute (KSI), created to support safer schools and stronger communities across Kansas. KSI is a wholly owned subsidiary of KASB and operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people and organizations prevent, manage and recover from safety and security incidents through training, collaboration and applied learning.
At its core, KSI is built on a simple belief: school safety is a shared responsibility. True safety requires collaboration among educators, school boards, families, first responders, healthcare providers, community organizations and local leaders. Bringing these partners together, KSI aims to create a coordinated statewide approach that strengthens trust, improves outcomes and protects Kansas communities.
The institute's mission is to provide practical, district-focused support that helps schools strengthen the systems they already have in place. KSI offers training, resources and guidance designed to align existing efforts and focus attention where it matters most. KSI champions a community-based approach to student safety and preparedness because safer schools are built when communities work together. Our motto: "Safer Schools. Every Day."
Leading KSI is Susan Severin, KASB's director of safety services and a nationally recognized school safety leader. A school psychologist with more than 21 years of experience serving Kansas schools, Severin has dedicated her career to helping districts create safe and supportive learning environments. In 2023, she was named Kansas School Psychologist of the Year. She continues to lead statewide initiatives focused on school safety, preparedness and student well-being.
As its first major initiative, KSI has focused on listening to the needs of Kansas schools and building a framework that reflects the realities districts face every day. Gathering feedback from educational leaders across the state and working with pilot partner districts to develop a school safety snapshot and readiness framework designed to help schools assess strengths, identify gaps and prioritize future efforts.
KSI has also engaged a multidisciplinary advisory committee made up of professionals connected to school safety work. Their input is helping identify priority needs, supports and desired outcomes that will guide future resources, training opportunities and statewide initiatives. This collaborative approach ensures KSI's work remains practical, relevant and responsive to the challenges facing Kansas schools and communities.
Save the Date: School Safety Collaborative
As KSI begins its work across the state, district leaders and community partners will have an opportunity to experience that collaborative approach firsthand. Mark your calendars for Feb. 17, 2027, for the School Safety Collaborative: Organizing Crisis Response and Recovery Efforts Within Communities. Presented through a partnership between the Kansas Safety Institute and the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, this event will bring together school leaders, law enforcement, mental health professionals and community partners for a practical, team-based school safety experience. Participants will explore effective multidisciplinary teaming, information sharing and legal considerations, community partnerships, crisis response and recovery.
Through discussion, resource mapping and scenario-based exercises, attendees will apply what they learn to their own local systems and identify practical next steps for strengthening collaboration and readiness. The event reflects KSI's core belief that safer schools are built through strong partnerships, shared responsibility, and continuous improvement.
KSI's vision extends beyond individual programs. The organization is committed to building a network of trusted partnerships that equip local communities with the skills, resources and support needed to create safer schools for generations to come.
School districts have already invested significant time and effort into safety planning. KSI exists to help coordinate those efforts, strengthen local capacity, and provide practical guidance along the way.
Together, schools and communities can create safer environments where students and staff can thrive. Together, we are KSI.
For more information about the Kansas Safety Institute (KSI), upcoming training opportunities and resources, visit the Kansas Safety Institute website.