The overall organization of a school can enhance the ability of school and public safety authorities in keeping it secure and discouraging burglaries.
The contemporary campus plan evolved from the availability of inexpensive land and the lower cost of constructing single story buildings. The haphazard arrangement of many campus schools contributes to the difficulty in maintaining safety and security.
Traditional school plan organizations were relatively compact. This was a reaction to the environmental concerns of natural daylighting and providing natural ventilation. Compact plans have the benefit of efficient interior circulation and minimal exterior surface area to maintain.
The narrow wings of traditional school organization lend themselves to common "alphabet" configurations "U", "O"' and "H" shaped buildings result in courtyards protected on three or four sides.
This allows ease of monitoring activity in the courtyard and helps provide shade and shelter. They also are easier to lock up and secure.
The distance from the street to the schools' open areas is critical to preventing burglaries.
Buildings that are set back from the street by long entry roads or vast parking lots are less likely to be patrolled by local authorities than buildings close to the street.