This guide for education leaders and facilities developers focuses on the safety of school buildings and their occupants. Noting the economic losses and social disruption caused by building damage and destruction, it provides design guidance for the school building required to provide safety of its occupants against natural hazards “ earthquakes, floods and high winds. It focuses primarily on grade schools (K-12). The concentration is on the design of new schools, but the repair, renovation, and the extension of existing schools is also addressed. The ICC Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities (2003 ed) was used for presentation and the criteria for various magnitudes of events. The NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and the NFPA 5000 Building Code were also referenced as design codes for the performance-based design.