Overview
A School Safety and Security Director acts as the Local Education Agency (LEA) point of contact for the County Security Chief, and every public primary and secondary school in Utah shall designate a School Safety and Security Director per Utah Code Section 53G-8-701.8.
A School Safety and Security Specialist is a school employee (e.g., school counselor, school social worker, school psychologist) responsible for supporting school safety initiatives, including behavioral threat assessment. Every public primary and secondary school in Utah shall designate a School Safety and Security Specialist per Utah Code Section 53G-8-701.5.
2026 - 2027 Required Trainings
School Safety and Security Directors are encouraged to attend (or watch the recording of) all annual School Safety Center School Safety and Security Director trainings. The trainings will be hosted via Zoom and the dates are as follows:
- Wednesday, September 9, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- School Safety and Security Director Information Session #1 (Presentation)
- Wednesday, May 5, 2027 | 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Note: The recording of each training will also be posted on our YouTube playlist as they become available.
School Safety and Security Specialists are required to attend (or watch the recording of) all annual School Safety Center trainings. The trainings will be hosted via Zoom and the dates are as follows:
- Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
- School Safety and Security Specialist Training #1: Program Updates and FERPA Exceptions and Records Management (Presentation)
- Sharing Student Data with Law Enforcement (Presentation from USBE Student Data Privacy)
- Wednesday, December 9, 2026 | 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - School Safety and Security Specialist Training #2
- Wednesday, March 17, 2027 | 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - School Safety and Security Specialist Training #3 - OPTIONAL
- Wednesday, April 28, 2027 | 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. - School Safety and Security Specialist Training #4
School Safety and Security Specialists received a course invitation via email to join the FY27 School Safety and Security Specialist Canvas course. Specialists should navigate to the course to find training recordings, resources, and required follow-up tasks post-training.
Note: The recording of each training will also be posted on our YouTube playlist as they become available.
2026 - 2027 Forms
School Safety and Security Personnel Designation Update Form (Qualtrics)
Utah law requires every K-12 public LEA to designate a School Safety and Security
Director, and every K-12 public school to designate a School Safety and Security Specialist.
This form will be used to report updated designations for both positions.
Access Request for School Safety Listservs Form (Qualtrics)
This form may be used to request subscription to the School Safety and Security Specialist listserv and to receive the monthly School Safety Center Newsletter. These channels
share information regarding upcoming professional learning opportunities, resources,
and other school safety related updates.
USBE Learning Portal
The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) Learning Portal is an online tool for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to request specific Professional Learning (PL) and Technical Assistance (TA) support from the USBE. The information submitted is used to help coordinate PL and TA across the state to ensure that LEA needs are addressed and met in an efficient manner.
Contact Information
General Questions: schoolsafetyprograms@schools.utah.gov
Rhett Larsen
School Safety Center Coordinator
Phone: (801) 538-7997
Ashley Pistello
School Safety Center Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7728
Melissa Muhlestein
Executive Secretary
Phone: (385) 295-7931