The district is dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of every student and staff member in ÁùºÏ±¦µä, and team members should feel secure in knowing that safety is the number one priority. Staff members and families are invited to review the resources that act to help keep our school community well-informed, healthy and out of harms way.
In ÁùºÏ±¦µä, situations that threaten student and staff safety and security are never acceptable. ÁùºÏ±¦µä will continue to be vigilant in our efforts to protect every child and staff member from harm, and we will continue to explore new options for increasing security protocols as needed. This year, the district has taken these steps to increase our campus safety:
- At the start of the school year, all principals received specialized training on safety and security protocols and were asked to reinforce those protocols with staff.
- District-wide, ÁùºÏ±¦µä provided additional professional development opportunities for principals that focus on how to tighten procedures to ensure that all students are accounted for throughout the day.
- This fall, ÁùºÏ±¦µä improved exterior play spaces at the elementary schools to further safeguard our students.
- Beginning this year, the ÁùºÏ±¦µä police department dedicated six officers to patrol and monitor all elementary schools in the city during the school day—an increase over previous years—to complement the 75 officers serving our middle and high schools and the district.
ÁùºÏ±¦µä is focused on preventing incidents that can have a harmful effect on our students. This includes, but is not limited to, these measures:
- Daily Police Presence at our Secondary Schools
- Student Code of Conduct
- Social Emotional Learning
- Child Study System
- Behavioral Health
- Guidance and Counseling
- No Place for Hate Initiative
Please explore the resources in place to keep your campus safe and secure!
The ÁùºÏ±¦µä Police Department is a recognized law enforcement agency established to create a safe and secure environment for our students and staff members. ÁùºÏ±¦µä is one of only a handful of districts in the nation to have its own police force and that is because we want our families and staff members to know that we are available to respond to a crisis swiftly and effectively.
The program is a gateway to access online options for employees, and their household, to maintain a healthy balance between work, family and individual needs. You will find a host of information that is easy to access in specific areas of interest including relationships, emotional well-being, health, personal growth, legal and financial.
More than 100 ÁùºÏ±¦µä schools earned No Place for Hate designation during the 2012-13 school year. This national movement is an initiative by the Anti-Defamation League that provides educators and students with resources to ensure an anti-bias and diverse education are an integral part of the school curriculum. For schools to earn this designation, students and staff members must sign a pledge to respect individual differences and challenge bigotry and prejudice. It is ÁùºÏ±¦µä's goal to become the largest district in Texas participating in this movement, with all 129 campuses earning No Place for Hate status.
School Messenger is one of ÁùºÏ±¦µä's most reliable tools for communicating information to families and staff members in the event of an emergency. The system allows the district and ÁùºÏ±¦µä schools to send important phone, e-mail or text notifications informing you of a campus emergency. Explore ÁùºÏ±¦µä's SchoolMessenger web pages to learn how you can customize the communications you receive from ÁùºÏ±¦µä so that you receive only the communications you want, and how you want them.
Staff members at every campus undergo training to handle emergency situations safely, and they are responsible for practicing those emergency protocols with students on a regular basis. As a result, students and staff are well-versed in how to handle an emergency situation. ÁùºÏ±¦µä's Emergency Management Bureau is responsible for the mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery programs in the district, and continuously monitors the district's safety procedures to ensure they are efficient and effective so ÁùºÏ±¦µä can adequately address hazards and threats.
SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills they need to recognize and manage their emotions, demonstrate caring and concern for others, establish positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and handle challenging situations constructively. SEL started in 2011 with 27 schools, is in 73 schools this year, and it’s our goal, in two more years, to have it in all schools at every grade level.
E-Wellness: Enroll, Engage, Empower is ÁùºÏ±¦µä’s staff wellness program. The program's mission is to educate, inform and provide resources and support to staff enabling them to live healthier lifestyles.
Similar to No Place for Hate, ÁùºÏ±¦µä's Respect for All initiative focuses on building awareness and encouraging tolerance through student-led initiatives and ongoing dialogues.
This year’s National School Bus Safety Week is Oct. 21-25. ÁùºÏ±¦µä Transportation joins school districts and transportation agencies throughout Texas and the nation in celebrating the importance of school bus safety. The transportation department provides staff members and families the following tips to keep students safe.