Ensuring student safety is one of the highest priorities of schools. There is the need to create a climate of safety in schools. Presented as an addendum to the guidelines developed by the California Department of Education’s School Safety and Violence Prevention Office, information is provided on the planning for school safety within three design stages: construction of new buildings, retrofitting old buildings, and the adding of portable buildings. Suggestions and considerations are presented with the potential of being useful in designing a new school or in retrofitting an existing school. Being aware of these considerations should play an important role in the planning and budgeting of future projects. Areas presented include: (1) entrances, doors, and controlled access to campuses; (2) windows; (3) visibility; (4) traffic patterns and parking areas; (5) play and sports areas; (6) landscaping; (7) fencing and gates; (8) exterior lighting; (9) lavatories; (10) environmental design features; (11) visitor control and access; and (12) specialized sites. List of resources and Web sites. References