The Most Comprehensive School Safety Conference in the Nation
Attendee Registration Information
Same Fee as 2025!
Early Discounted Registration
Prior to 3/13/26
- Attendee Registration - $575
-
Team Registration - $525
(more than 5 from same agency)
Regular Conference Registration
After 3/13/26
- Attendee Registration - $675
-
Team Registration - $625
(more than 5 from same agency)
Cancellation Policy: Any attendee or exhibitor cancellations prior to 3/13/26 will receive 50% of their registration fee. Cancellations after 4/1/26 will not receive a refund but allowed to substitute attendees without a fee. A $25 administrative fee is assessed to all cancellations
The 22nd Annual National School Safety Conference will be held on July 20 – 24, 2026 at the beautiful Omni ChampionsGate Resort in Orlando, Florida. This Conference is internationally recognized as the largest and most comprehensive conference focused on all aspects of school safety and security. Centered on national best practices and proven methods and programs, this conference brings together the most knowledgeable and internationally renowned keynote presenters into a single forum to provide the highest quality professional development possible in one conference. In addition to our unmatched keynote presenters, you will be able to take advantage of a choice of two complimentary pre-conference sessions as well as almost 50 breakout sessions by current professionals in the fields of education, law enforcement, and school safety.
With conference content specifically designed for all school safety stakeholders, this is the must-attend professional development event of the year.
Who Should Attend This Conference
School Administrators
Law Enforcement Executives
School Security Directors
Emergency Managers
School Safety Officers
School Resource Officers
DARE Officers
School Crisis Team Members
Educators
School Safety Officers
Threat Assessment Teams
Industry Solution Providers
Keynote Presentations
Keynote Session Sponsored By:
Back By Overwhelming Demand!
Det. Michael Collazo, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department
The Covenant School Tragedy: The Nashville Mass Shooting Event from the Officer’s Perspective
On March 27, 2023, a 28-year-old former student armed with two rifles and a handgun, entered the Covenant School, a Presbyterian parochial elementary school in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee. The shooter opened fire killing three nine-year-old children and three adults, including the head of the school. In this riveting presentation conducted by one of the officers first on scene who engaged the shooter, you will hear about the events leading up to the incident, the tense moments on scene trying to locate the killer, and best practices and lessons learned from the officer’s perspective.
Keynote Session Sponsored BY:
Dr. Marleen Wong, CEO of the Center for Safe and Resilient Schools and Workplaces
Mental Health in the Educational Setting – Understanding and Responding to our Nation’s Fastest Growing Concern
Marleen Wong, PhD, MSW, has been called the “architect of school-safety” programs by the Wall Street Journal. Thousands of children and families have benefited from her dedication, commitment, and passion for disaster recovery, trauma and mental health. Wong is often the first expert contacted by the Department of Education and other federal agencies when there is a school shooting or national disaster.
She was part of a team that traveled to Las Vegas, NV in the aftermath of the mass shooting at a concert in 2017 to help the city rebuild and recover. As the former director of the School Mental Health Unit for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), she was instrumental in implementing two evidenced-based interventions developed in collaboration with RAND and UCLA called The Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools and the Psychological First Aid: Learn, Listen, Protect, Connect. These interventions were utilized as a part of essential professional development for over 800 LAUSD psychiatric social workers.
Wong is recognized internationally for her expertise in the areas of disaster recovery, trauma, and mental health. She has developed mental health recovery programs and crisis disaster training for school districts and law enforcement in the United States, Canada, Israel and Asia. She was the former director of Mental Health, District Crisis and Threat Assessment Teams, and Suicide Prevention Programs for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). In this role, she created and co-developed district policies, programs, procedures, and protocols for school mental health and crisis intervention.
Broward County Sheriffs Office Det. Michael Ryan, Sgt. Thomas Thyroff & Assistant Florida State Attorney Justin Griffis
The Race to Stop a School Shooter – The Threat Assessment Case Study of Robert Mondragon
This riveting case study and review will be presented by the two investigative detectives and the Florida States Attorney who prosecuted the case. The case, which made international news, is of Robert Mondragon, a Florida man obsessed with mass school shootings, who intentionally left dead animals on the memorial honoring Parkland shooting victims.
The presentation will be the in-depth analysis and review of both the threat assessment and criminal investigation process and the evil it uncovered. It will provide an uncensored look into the perpetrator, Robert Mondragon, a man with an obsession with school shooters and facial tattoos matching those of Tate Langdon of the TV series, “American Horror Story.” The character based on the Columbine High School massacre. You will see the chilling text messages and internet searches about the planning of a school shooting, including the planning of how to break into steel doors and build pipe bombs. You will see one man’s obsession with previous school shooters, one which led him to even walk the path that Nikolas Cruz took after the Parkland massacre in 2018.
Finally, you will hear of the investigative work that led to Mondragon’s arrest on state charges as well as federal firearms charges. You will hear from the state’s attorney who prosecuted the case and its similarities of the case of the Parkland school shooter, who he also prosecuted. This inside look at the mind of a school shooter is a must attend for all law enforcement officials and school administrators.
Lt. Sean Burke (ret), President School Safety Advocacy Council
Lessons Learned from 1,000 School Safety Assessments
This information packed presentation will cover “the good, the bad, and the ugly” of safety efforts in our schools using information gained from the School Safety Advocacy Council conducting 1000 school safety assessments. With assessments from all school types, grades, and design from both urban and rural environments, it is sure to highlight multiple improvements you can make to achieve a safer school. Attendee will leave with actionable knowledge to prioritize and enact multiple school safety improvements in their school and/or support improvements they have already made.
Dr. Tahira Dupree Chase, Superintendent of Schools Westbury Union Free School District
Leading a District Culture Change That Fosters a Safe and Supportive School Environment
This interactive presentation will be presented by Dr. Tahira Dupree Chase, Superintendent of Schools for the Westbury Union Free School District in New York, and will conclude with a roundtable discussion of her building principals. They will outline their districtwide efforts to initiate and sustain a district-wide culture shift centered on school safety. They will share with attendees their practical strategies, real-world examples, and leadership frameworks used in their efforts. They will explain how working cooperatively with key stakeholders, such as law enforcement, staff, and outside experts assisted them in systematically improving their physical security while implementing policies and proceedures that prioritize the well-being and security of every student and staff member.
They will also address challenges unique to leading culture change at the district level, including navigating resistance, aligning resources, and fostering a shared vision for safety. In the end, you will be provided the tools and confidence to champion a culture where safety is at the heart of decisions and practices at your districts.
Dr. Steve Webb , Superintendent of Schools & Law Enforcement Officer Vancouver, WA.(Ret) – National Consultant & Superintendents Coach AASA
School Safety and Security: Addressing the Changing World Around Us
This interactive presentation will be presented by Dr. Webb will explore lessons from past tragedies, today’s threat landscape and proven strategies for preventing violence in schools. In this keynote presentation the attendee will develop an understand how addressing school violence requires both vulnerability and behavioral threat assessments, along with attention to students’ social worlds. Attendees will also learn how schools and communities can foster a culture of connection, applying lessons from past tragedies to strengthen crisis prevention and response. At the conclusion of the presentation, attendees will have the ability to recognize that safe schools depend on effective leadership, and gain key traits leaders need to sustain secure, supportive learning environments.
Conference Features
Investigative Threat Assessment Process Certification Course
When: Sunday July 19, 2026
Course Hours: 7
Fee: Conference Attendee $200 Non-Conference Attendees $400
For the second year in a row, we will be offering an add-on training as part of the 2026 National School Safety Conference on Sunday July 19th at the Omni ChampionsGate Resort. The course, Investigative Threat Assessment Process (ITAP), our behavioral threat assessment and management model, teaches a fact-based, systematic process designed to IDENTIFY, INQUIRE, ASSESS, and MANAGE potentially dangerous or violent subjects. A key goal is to distinguish between an individual who MAKES a threat versus one who POSES a threat. Threat Assessment teams and programs are designed to address any behavior or communication that raises concern that a person or situation may pose a danger to the safety of the school, campus, or workplace.
Included Pre-Conference Sessions
On Monday July 20th the National School Safety Conference will host two pre-conference sessions from 11am-3pm free to anyone registered to attend the 2026 National School Safety Conference. These pre-conference sessions will be held at the Omni ChampionsGate and no pre-registration or class selection required.
Pre-Con Titles Coming Soon
Conference Host Hotel
Omni ChampionsGate Resort Orlando
Discounted Conference Rate:
$189 per night
(Includes Resort Fee & Discounted $10 Self-Parking)
Conference Sponsors
