Nebraska school emergency plan rule

Does Nebraska require schools to have an emergency plan?

Nebraska's requirement sits in a State Department of Education accreditation rule, Rule 10 (92 NAC 10), which requires each accredited school system to have a safety and security plan for its schools, covering students, staff and visitors and approved by its governing body. Every statement in Rule 10 that is not marked as a Quality Indicator is a requirement for accredited school systems. All public school districts serving compulsory-age children must be accredited under Rule 10. Approved private or parochial schools may choose to seek accreditation, and accredited nonpublic schools must meet Rule 10's requirements unless one is excluded for them or applies only to public districts. Rule 14, which governs approved but not accredited private and parochial schools, requires safe conditions and compliance with fire, safety and health codes, not a safety or emergency plan. The Department of Education says accredited public and nonpublic schools must have an Emergency Operations Plan, and that unaccredited nonpublic schools should have one as a best practice. The statute on school security identifies these plans as ones required by the Department's accreditation rules.

Who writes and reviews the plan?

Each school system must have a school safety and security committee with faculty, parent and community representatives. The committee meets at least once a year to prepare or review the safety and security plans and procedures, including emergency plans and procedures.

How often must the plan be reviewed?

The outside review includes a visit to school buildings to analyze plans, policies, procedures and practices and make recommendations. Those recommendations go to the head administrator and the safety committee to be considered when the plan is revised.

What must the plan contain?

The rule requires the plan to address the safety and security of students, staff and visitors. Department guidance (not a legal requirement) says an initial response protocol (hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate, shelter) is not required but should be in the plan. The same guidance says reunification and a recovery component are not required elements but should be in the plan. It also says NIMS and ICS (the national incident management and incident command systems) should be included, and recommends that schools consider a threat assessment team, which is not required.

Is the plan filed with the state?

By statute, school districts must give the state school security director their safety and security plans and any other security information the director requests. Rule 10's plan provision itself does not require the plan to be filed with the Department or anyone else. Department guidance says the plan is submitted to the Department when the School Safety Director requests it. For private, denominational and parochial schools, the director's role under the statute is to respond to their questions and requests for help.

Does the plan involve police and fire?

Department guidance suggests, but does not require, adding law enforcement, the local emergency manager and local fire and rescue to the school safety committee.

Is training tied to the plan?

The state school security director's duties include setting up security awareness and preparedness tools and training programs for public school staff.

Is the plan confidential?

The Department may withhold the plans districts submit under the public-records exemption in § 84-712.05(9). That exemption covers security information such as specific, unique vulnerability assessments or response plans. Withholding these records is up to the records custodian; it is not mandatory.

What happens if a school doesn't comply?

Violations of Rule 10 provisions outside its Section 003, which include the safety-plan rules, are assessed as violations; if they are not corrected, they lead to a recommendation to the State Board for probation or loss of accreditation. Each school system must report its existing Rule 10 violations to the Department on its annual Statement of Assurance. A school system may ask for a waiver of Rule 10 sections that include the safety-plan rules; those rules are not on the list of rules that cannot be waived. The state director identifies school security gaps against the State Board's minimum standards and makes recommendations to school boards. The State Board may, but is not required to, adopt rules setting minimum school security standards. The Department describes the State Board's 2016 safety and security standards as a guide for districts.

What has changed recently?

The Rule 10 version cited here took effect June 2, 2024. The official text of § 79-2,144, the statute on plan submission, lists its latest amendment as Laws 2023, LB705, and shows none for 2024, 2025 or 2026. LB670 (2025), introduced at the Governor's request, would have put the plan duty in statute: each district board and nonpublic school governing board would have had to adopt and maintain a safety plan and update it every year. Under LB670 as introduced, each district would have given its plan to the school security director every three years. LB670 was indefinitely postponed on April 17, 2026. LB517 (2025) would have required districts to also give the director yearly inspection information on protective door assemblies, door-locking systems and double-entry doors; it was indefinitely postponed on April 17, 2026.