Applications Open for 2025 Safe Schools Awards
Program highlights innovative school safety & security programs across Alabama
On Monday, June 30, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall opened the application period for the 2025 Alabama Safe Schools Initiative Awards. The program recognizes excellence in school safety, and schools and districts across the State are encouraged to submit their applications by Friday, August 15, 2025.
“There is nothing more important than protecting the health and safety of our children, especially while they are in school,” Marshall said in the announcement. “This annual program serves as a grassroots effort to identify schools and communities that build strong partnerships and embrace innovative safety technologies to protect and support their schoolchildren year‑around. Each year, I am both impressed and encouraged by the depth of preparation, investment, and training these schools and communities demonstrate.”
Applicants can learn more and access the full instructions on the Attorney General’s Safe Schools page.
The awards process unfolds in four stages, judged by independent safety experts with direct experience in school security. Judges assess districts on emergency training, cooperation with local first responders, engagement of resource officers or security staff, use of safety tech, community involvement, and prevention education.
Attorney General Marshall’s team will visit award-winning schools throughout the fall. In past years, six schools earned the top “Safe School Award,” while many others received Silver and Bronze recognition for meeting elevated safety benchmarks.
Past winners have praised the initiative’s impact. Elvin Hill Elementary in Columbiana, honored in 2024, said Principal Courtney Madison: “This recognition is a testament to the incredible teamwork and dedication of everyone in our school community. The unwavering collaboration among our administrators, safety team, teachers, and school resource officers has been instrumental in creating and sustaining a safe school environment . . . For us, safety transcends procedures—it is about building trust and confidence.”
The 2024 winners list includes Orange Beach Middle & High School, UMS‑Wright Preparatory School in Mobile, Ladonia Elementary in Phenix City, Russellville Elementary, Cullman City Primary, and Elvin Hill Elementary.
As the new school year approaches, Marshall remarked, “I look forward to continuing to spotlight the most effective school safety strategies, administrators, resource officers, parents, and students.”
Funding for the initiative is drawn from the Attorney General’s office budget, supported in part by federal and state grants aimed at crime prevention and youth protection. These funds cover the administrative costs of the program, site visits, and promotional outreach to share model practices across the state.
School leaders and safety teams interested in applying or learning more can visit the Alabama AG’s Safe Schools page for guidelines, funding details, and application procedures.
