(The Conversation) – School shooting preparedness drills have been a routine though uncomfortable part of the back-to-school experience. Since the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado, various kinds of preparedness drills have been mandatory in most schools.
As schools schedule and conduct these preparedness exercises, parents are likely to hear grim terms like “active shooter drill” and “lockdown drill.”
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For most schools, these drills are not optional. As of 2025, 37 out of 50 states require schools to conduct active shooter or lockdown drills at least once per year. Some states, like New York, require schools to conduct lockdown drills at various points throughout the year. Texas, meanwhile, requires lockdowns and shelter-in-place drills, but it also permits active shooter threat exercises, including shooter simulations.
The nationwide controversy over school shooter preparedness drills tends to conflate hyperrealistic simulations—with fake blood and bullets—with lockdown procedures, which might involve turning off the lights and having children remain quiet…