American Heart Association Recognized School Districts
Districts in Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming implemented cardiac emergency plans during the 2025-26 school year.
Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Heart Disease
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On October 12, 2026, the American Heart Association announced that several school districts in Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming were recognized for cardiac emergency preparedness initiatives. These districts successfully met milestones for the 2025-26 school year by implementing emergency response plans and CPR education programs.
Why it matters
With more than 23,000 children experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest annually, these programs aim to ensure safer learning environments for students and staff. Rapid bystander intervention is critical, as immediate CPR can significantly increase survival rates.
Nationwide, more than 23,000 children younger than 18 suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospitals each year, with nearly 40% of these events occurring during sports. Currently, only about one in three victims of cardiac arrest receive CPR from a bystander.
The players
American Heart Association
This national voluntary health organization focuses on reducing disability and death caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The details
Participating school districts strengthened their emergency preparedness by adopting Cardiac Emergency Response Plans and increasing AED awareness. Students and staff also participated in the American Heart Challenge and Kids Heart Challenge to build community health skills.
Timeline
The initiative milestones were completed or progressed during the 2025-26 school year.
The American Heart Association officially announced the district recognitions on October 12, 2026.
Health Landscape
The school districts' adoption of emergency response plans follows the standard of care established by the Chain of Survival to improve cardiac arrest outcomes. This initiative marks a shift toward integrating professional-grade cardiac protocols into daily K-12 educational settings.
Families and staff in these regions benefit from improved onsite emergency capabilities, which can be the difference between life and death during a cardiac event. The expansion of CPR training ensures that more individuals in the school community are equipped to provide life-saving aid.
The takeaway
Cardiac emergencies in youth often occur during sports, making training for coaches and students essential. Encouraging schools to maintain active AED programs and CPR training protocols can improve safety for students across all districts.
Further reading
Learn more about prevention and emergency response by visiting our Heart Disease section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by American Heart Association.
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