The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet released its annual School Safety Risk Assessment Report, showing that nearly all public schools across the state are meeting statutory safety requirements. According to the Office of the State School Security Marshal, 99.81 percent of Kentucky's schools are following safety mandates, with 1,325 schools in full compliance with the School Safety and Resiliency Act.

The report highlighted gains in school resource officer staffing following legislation signed by Gov. Andy Beshear in 2022. The number of SROs assigned to school campuses has increased to 790, representing a 28 percent increase over the previous year and a 61 percent increase since House Bill 63 was signed into law. Every Kentucky public school is now required to employ an SRO under the mandate.

State School Security Marshal Ben Wilcox noted that schools are complying with core security measures including electronic-locking front doors, surveillance systems, locked classroom doors, classroom-window coverings and threat-assessment teams. The administration also improved officer training by transferring SRO instruction from the Department of Criminal Justice Training to the Office of the State School Security Marshal, allowing regional training during the summer so officers don't have to leave schools unstaffed during the academic year.

Despite the positive compliance numbers, Wilcox recommended continued improvements. He urged teachers and staff to maintain plans for critical incidents, for districts to sustain emergency operations plans and for teachers to continue securing classroom and external doors. The report also flagged concerns about "swatting" incidents, which have increased in frequency and require coordinated response plans between schools and local first responders.