Effective safe school planning identifies the status of the school district and community, defines goals, and details the steps to achieve these goals. The planning team should include teachers, counselors, the principal, the vice principle, school security, maintenance, the school secretary, and students if their ages are appropriate. Areas needing attention include selection and training of the team, creation of a timetable, and overcoming the challenges involved in forming new working relationships. Every school should conduct an annual school safety assessment. The six topics that a plan should cover include the physical environment, the social environment, the cultural environment, the economic environment, the personal characteristics of individual students and staff members, and the local political atmosphere. Specific actions should cover campus access and control; administrative leadership; the school climate; student behavior, supervision, and management; staff training; student involvement; and community partnerships. Essential ingredients for creating a safe school plan start with placing school safety on the educational agenda and end with conducting a continuing evaluation. Notes and 7 references