Pennsylvania schools have to think about security as more than a visible guard at a door. School safety involves people, training, policies, emergency procedures, coordination with law enforcement, access control, visitor management, and the qualifications of the personnel assigned to the campus. For schools considering a security guard, school resource officer, or school police officer, understanding the legal framework is an important part of building a responsible school security program.
Act 67 of 2019 is a key part of Pennsylvania’s school-security framework. The Pennsylvania Department of Education explains that Act 67 amended Article XIII-C of the Pennsylvania School Code and updated requirements concerning school resource officers, school police officers, and school security guards. The law also addresses which school-security personnel may be authorized to carry firearms while performing school duties.
This guide explains the practical points school administrators and security decision-makers should understand when evaluating school security personnel. It also puts Act 67 into context with later changes, including current Pennsylvania school-security personnel training standards. Because Pennsylvania school-safety requirements can change through later legislation and agency guidance, schools should verify current requirements with the appropriate Pennsylvania authorities before finalizing a security contract.
What Is Pennsylvania Act 67?
Act 67 of 2019 was signed into law on July 2, 2019 and took effect August 31, 2019. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, it amended Article XIII-C of the Pennsylvania School Code and made changes to the training and credential requirements affecting school resource officers, school police officers, and school security guards.
One of the most important practical distinctions is that Pennsylvania law does not treat every person working around a school as the same type of security professional. The state’s guidance identifies school police officers, school resource officers, and school security guards as categories of school security personnel, with different roles and requirements.
That distinction matters when a school evaluates a third-party security company. A school should not assume that a person who performs ordinary commercial security duties automatically has the qualifications required for a school-security assignment. The assignment, the personnel category, the duties, and whether the person is armed can all affect the requirements that must be satisfied.
Who Counts as School Security Personnel?
Pennsylvania Department of Education guidance describes “school security personnel” as school police officers, school resource officers, and school security guards. Each category has a different role. Understanding the difference helps administrators ask better questions when reviewing proposals.
School Police Officers
An SPO is a law-enforcement-oriented role established under Pennsylvania’s school-security framework. The Department of Education describes an SPO as a law enforcement officer employed by a school entity or nonpublic school whose responsibilities are established by the school, or certain independent contractors or third-party arrangements meeting the statutory requirements. The precise legal authority and duties depend on the applicable appointment and statutory framework.
School Resource Officers
An SRO is described by PDE as a law enforcement officer commissioned and employed by a law enforcement agency whose duty station is located in a school entity or nonpublic school, with the stationing established through an agreement between the law enforcement agency and the school. Active certified sheriff or deputy sheriff arrangements can also fall within the statutory definition when the required agreement exists.
School Security Guards
A school security guard is different from an SPO or SRO. PDE describes a school security guard as an individual employed by a school entity, nonpublic school, third-party vendor, or independent contractor who is assigned to a school for routine safety and security duties and has not been granted school police officer powers and duties. The listed functions can include school safety support, enhanced campus supervision, visitor monitoring, coordination with law enforcement, and other security functions that improve and maintain school safety.
Why the Difference Between a Guard, SRO, and SPO Matters
The difference is not merely terminology. Schools should know what authority a person has, what duties the contract assigns, what training applies, and who is responsible for supervision. A school security guard may have an important daily safety role without having school police officer powers. An SRO is connected to a law enforcement agency. An SPO operates within a statutory school-police framework.
When reviewing a proposal, the school should therefore ask the security provider to identify the personnel category being supplied. The proposal should explain the officer’s responsibilities in plain language and identify which credentials or training are applicable to that role. This creates a clearer record for administrators, boards, families, and other stakeholders.
For a third-party vendor, this distinction is also important operationally. A commercial security company should not represent a routine security guard as having law-enforcement powers that the person does not possess. The scope of authority should be clear before the officer begins work.
Training Requirements for School Security Personnel
Training is one of the central parts of Pennsylvania’s school-security framework. PDE guidance for Act 67 states that school security personnel hired or contracted on or after September 2, 2019 must complete the required instruction before beginning their duties.
The current Pennsylvania training landscape has also evolved. PCCD states that Pennsylvania Public School Code sections 1305-C, 1313-C, 1314-C, and 1315-C, under Act 67 of 2019 and Act 47 of 2025, require school police officers, school resource officers, and school security guards to complete school-security-personnel training in accordance with standards approved by PCCD and with a provider approved by PCCD before working in a school setting.
PCCD further explains that the school-security-personnel training standards were revised in 2026. A workgroup reviewed the standards in March 2026, and the revised standards were approved by the School Safety and Security Committee on June 3, 2026 and by the Commission on June 10, 2026. PCCD states that school security personnel who have not yet completed training need training aligned with the approved standards as of June 10, 2026.
This is an important reason not to publish a school-security article that treats the 2019 version of the rules as if nothing has changed. Act 67 remains central, but later legislation and updated agency standards matter when a school is evaluating current compliance.
What Should a School Ask a Security Provider About Training?
- Which school-security personnel category applies to the officer?
- What training is required for that role under current Pennsylvania guidance?
- Has the officer completed the applicable PCCD-approved school-security personnel training?
- Who provided the training and was the provider approved for the applicable course?
- Does the officer have any additional credentials required for an armed assignment?
- How does the company document training and qualification status?
- How are ongoing or updated training requirements tracked?
- Who is responsible for verifying credentials before an officer is assigned?
These questions do not replace the school’s legal or regulatory review. They create a practical vendor-screening checklist that helps administrators verify that the provider understands the school-specific requirements.
Armed School Security Guards Under Pennsylvania’s Framework
Armed school security requires additional attention. PDE’s Act 67 guidance explains that a school entity or nonpublic school may employ or contract with an independent contractor or third-party vendor for an armed school security guard only when specified conditions are satisfied. The guidance identifies firearms licensing, Act 235 certification, and applicable background-check requirements among those conditions, subject to the exceptions described in the official guidance.
PDE also states that school security guards, armed or unarmed, must complete the required school-security training, with historical transition deadlines applying to personnel employed before the law’s effective period. Current requirements should be verified against the latest PCCD/PDE guidance rather than relying on an old checklist.
For a school considering armed coverage, the hiring decision should therefore include more than a discussion of firearms. Administrators should verify the individual’s applicable credentials, training, background requirements, role, supervision, post orders, and emergency procedures. The security company should be able to explain how it verifies those items before deployment.
Background Checks and School Security Hiring
Background screening is another important component of school security. PDE’s Act 67 guidance identifies background-check requirements for armed school security guards, and Pennsylvania’s broader school-safety framework also contains requirements affecting the retention and review of information about law-enforcement personnel.
PDE explains that Act 57 of 2020 requires school entities employing school police officers, school resource officers, and school security guards to maintain certain employment records, conduct a thorough background investigation on applicants for law-enforcement officers, disclose specified employment information to prospective law-enforcement employers, and handle applicable separation records under the statute.
A school should ask a vendor how background screening is handled and documented. It is also useful to clarify whether the vendor or the school is responsible for obtaining and retaining specific records. The contract should make the responsibility clear rather than assuming that one party will handle it.
School Safety and Security Coordinators
Act 67 should also be considered alongside the broader Pennsylvania school-safety structure created by earlier legislation. PCCD explains that school safety and security coordinators oversee school police officers, school resource officers, school security guards, and school safety policies and procedures within the school entity. The coordinator reports directly to the chief school administrator.
This creates an important operational connection between the school and its security provider. A third-party security company should know who the school’s designated security lead is, how the officer reports issues, how incidents are escalated, and how changes to the security plan are communicated.
The coordinator’s role also reinforces why a security contract should not be treated as an isolated purchase. Guards work within a larger school safety program. Their duties should align with the school’s policies, emergency procedures, communication structure, and relationships with law enforcement and first responders.
What Does a School Security Guard Actually Do?
The role of a school security guard can cover a broad range of routine safety functions. PDE specifically identifies examples such as enhanced campus supervision, monitoring visitors, assistance with disruptive students, coordination with law enforcement officials, and other security functions that improve and maintain school safety.
In practice, a school may assign officers to entrances, visitor areas, parking zones, hallways, athletic events, arrival and dismissal periods, or other locations identified through a site assessment. The exact post should be defined by the school and provider rather than assumed.
- Visible security presence at designated access points.
- Visitor and access monitoring.
- Campus observation and patrol.
- Support for school safety procedures.
- Coordination with school leadership and law enforcement.
- Documentation of incidents and unusual activity.
- Support during higher-traffic school activities.
- Assistance with defined emergency procedures within the officer’s role.
Building a School Security Plan Around the Campus
A good school-security plan starts with the property rather than a generic number of guards. Administrators should identify entrances, exits, visitor areas, parking, athletic facilities, administrative offices, student gathering spaces, and other areas that require different levels of oversight.
The school should also examine time-based risks. Arrival, dismissal, lunch periods, athletic events, assemblies, after-school activities, and community use of facilities can change the movement of people across campus. Security coverage may need to shift accordingly.
A third-party provider should be able to turn this information into clear post orders. An officer should know where to report, what to monitor, who to contact, what constitutes an escalation, and how activity is documented.
Act 67 and Nonpublic Schools
PDE’s Act 67 guidance applies to school entities and nonpublic schools within the framework described by the statute and guidance. The guidance specifically discusses school security personnel at school entities and nonpublic schools.
Nonpublic schools should therefore avoid assuming that a commercial security contract is automatically outside Pennsylvania’s school-security requirements. If the assignment involves school security personnel as defined by the applicable law, the school and provider should confirm the relevant requirements before deployment.
Because the statutory framework can change, a nonpublic school should verify current guidance directly with Pennsylvania authorities and document the basis for its security-provider requirements.
How Schools Can Evaluate a Security Company
- Confirm the company can explain Pennsylvania school-security requirements.
- Ask how the provider verifies officer qualifications before assignment.
- Request documentation of applicable school-security training.
- Clarify whether officers are armed, unarmed, SROs, SPOs, or school security guards.
- Ask who supervises the officer.
- Review background-screening procedures.
- Confirm incident-reporting and escalation procedures.
- Define the school’s point of contact.
- Review emergency communication procedures.
- Confirm replacement coverage and call-off procedures.
- Make sure the contract clearly describes duties and limitations.
The provider’s ability to answer these questions is itself useful information. A company that understands the difference between commercial security and school-security requirements can build a more appropriate deployment plan.
Common Mistakes Schools Should Avoid
- Choosing a provider based only on hourly price.
- Treating all security personnel as if they have identical authority.
- Failing to verify school-specific training.
- Assuming an armed guard has automatically satisfied every school requirement.
- Using generic post orders that do not reflect the campus.
- Failing to define who supervises the security officer.
- Not documenting credentials and training.
- Waiting until the first day of school to resolve access-control procedures.
- Failing to coordinate with the school’s safety and security coordinator.
- Relying on outdated compliance articles without checking current Pennsylvania guidance.
Act 67 Is Part of a Larger School-Safety Framework
One of the most important takeaways is that Act 67 should not be viewed in isolation. Pennsylvania’s school-safety requirements have been amended by later laws, and the state continues to update training standards. PCCD’s current training page specifically references Act 47 of 2025 and the revised school-security personnel standards approved in June 2026.
PCCD also notes a separate requirement affecting school districts: beginning with the 2024-25 school year, school districts must have at least one full-time school security personnel member who has completed the requisite training on duty during the school day unless the district receives a waiver.
This means a school administrator researching “PA Act 67 security requirements” should look at the current statutory and agency framework rather than stopping with the 2019 law. A good security provider should be prepared to work within the school’s current compliance structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PA Act 67?
Act 67 of 2019 amended Article XIII-C of the Pennsylvania School Code and updated requirements relating to school resource officers, school police officers, and school security guards, including training and credentials.
Can a school hire a third-party security company?
Pennsylvania’s guidance recognizes third-party vendors and independent contractors in the school-security framework. The school and provider must determine which statutory category and requirements apply to the personnel being supplied.
Do school security guards need special training?
Yes. Pennsylvania requires school security personnel to complete applicable school-security training before working in a school setting, subject to the statutory framework and current standards. PCCD updated the approved standards in June 2026.
Can a school security guard be armed?
Pennsylvania law permits school entities and nonpublic schools to authorize qualifying school security personnel to carry firearms while performing school duties, subject to the applicable requirements. Armed school security guards have additional credential, training, and background requirements described in PDE guidance.
Does Act 67 apply to nonpublic schools?
The PDE guidance specifically addresses school entities and nonpublic schools. A nonpublic school should verify which provisions apply to its specific arrangement and confirm current requirements with Pennsylvania authorities.
Should schools verify requirements before signing a security contract?
Yes. Schools should identify the personnel category, applicable training, credentials, background requirements, supervision, and duties before deployment. Because Pennsylvania’s school-security framework is updated over time, current PDE/PCCD guidance should be checked.
What is the safest way to use this article?
Use it as a planning and vendor-screening resource, not as a substitute for legal advice. Schools should confirm current requirements with PDE, PCCD, and other applicable authorities before making compliance decisions.
Conclusion
Pennsylvania Act 67 is an important part of the state’s school-security framework, but school administrators should evaluate it alongside later amendments and current agency guidance. The practical question is not simply whether a security company can place a guard at a school. The question is whether the personnel, training, credentials, supervision, duties, and operating procedures fit Pennsylvania’s current requirements and the school’s actual security needs.
Elite Guard Security serves the Philadelphia region and the wider PA/NJ/DE tri-state area, providing armed and unarmed officers as part of its broader security guard services. Schools evaluating coverage should begin with a campus-specific discussion that identifies the required personnel category, coverage needs, access-control requirements, reporting structure, and applicable training and credential checks.
For current compliance decisions, confirm requirements directly with Pennsylvania’s Department of Education and Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The official state guidance should control if a published summary and current law or agency guidance differ.
For school administrators, the safest workflow is straightforward: identify the personnel category, identify the duties, confirm the current training standard, verify credentials and background requirements, document the verification, and then establish the deployment and supervision plan. That process creates a stronger compliance record than relying on a generic statement that an officer is simply ‘trained.’
This is particularly important because PCCD’s current training guidance references both Act 67 of 2019 and later legislation, including Act 47 of 2025, and states that revised school-security personnel training standards were approved in June 2026. A blog article can explain the framework, but the final hiring decision should be based on current official guidance and the school’s specific circumstances.
Because Pennsylvania school-security requirements have changed over time, a provider’s compliance checklist should have a current-review date. The school should verify that the training and credential requirements being applied are the requirements currently in effect, especially when hiring new personnel or changing from unarmed to armed coverage.
Current Compliance Should Be Verified Before Deployment
Regular review is valuable after deployment. Schools can review incident reports, visitor-access issues, schedule changes, staffing concerns, and feedback from administrators. If the security environment changes, the post orders and staffing plan should be reviewed rather than left unchanged for the remainder of the contract.
The security company should receive clear written post orders and a defined escalation path. If an officer sees a situation that requires school leadership, law enforcement, medical assistance, or another response, the officer should know who to contact and how the communication should occur. The school should also know how to reach the security supervisor.
Before an officer begins work, the school and provider should walk the property together. Identify entrances, restricted spaces, visitor areas, emergency access routes, staff-only areas, parking zones, and locations where officers may need to respond. Review the daily schedule and identify periods when the campus becomes more active. This walkthrough can also reveal practical problems that are not obvious from a floor plan.
The strongest school-security arrangements are collaborative. The school understands its students, staff, facilities, schedules, policies, and community environment. The security provider contributes personnel, supervision, operational experience, reporting, and security-specific procedures. Neither side should assume that the other automatically knows every detail of the campus.
How the School and Security Provider Should Work Together
To review coverage for your campus, talk with Elite Guard Security about school security coverage.