School Safety & Security Community
The district continuously strives to ensure
the safety of our students and staff.
This summary is an effort to share with our
community our ongoing efforts. It is
very comprehensive, but certainly not exhaustive – as we do so much more on a
daily basis:
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Held a Spring,
2018 School & Community Safety Forum
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Put
together and compiled the results of a parent-community School Safety Survey
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Held a
June, 2018 School & Community Safety Forum
The purpose of these meetings was to
provide an update of what we were currently doing, what was in process, and
future considerations regarding school safety and to discuss the feasibility of
securing a school resource officer.
These collaborative discussions between
members of our community, parents, safety experts, school personnel, and our
School Board and administrators led to the following:
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Aug., 2018 Employed
School Resource Officer Deputy Adam Chellis through a shared agreement between
the Wayne County Sheriff’s Dept. Wayne County Commissioners, and Northwestern
Schools
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Aug., 2018 Bus
Driver Safety Professional Development
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Aug., 2018 Expanded
Peer Supports through strong HS student leaders interacting with ES students
(training through ANAZAO)
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Aug., 2018 Added
additional emotional and counseling supports through The Counseling Center 360
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Oct., 2018 Bus
Driver Bus Emergency Training with SWAT Team
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October, 2018 Added
Additional Case Management and Transition Services through Goodwill Industries
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Dec., 2018 Reviewed
& Updated all Homeland Security School Building and School District Safety
Plans
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Dec., 2018 Submitted
successful $40,000 BWC School Safety and Security Grant (Incl. 17 Security
Cameras, 10 Bus Replacement Cameras, Replacement ES and HS Electronic Lock
Systems, 6 additional Handheld Radios)
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Feb., 2019 All
School Staff “Stop the Bleed” Training
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Feb., 2019 “Stop
the Bleed” Kits acquired for every classroom
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March, 2019
Applied for $5,000 PBIS
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Grant for to train more
faculty, staff & administrators
program. If awarded will occur in Aug.-Sept., 2019
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April, 2019 Sheriff’s
Dept.-Northwestern collaboration in applying for D.A.R.E. Grant funds for 19-20
school year
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April, 2019 Install
Additional 17 Security Cameras
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April, 2019 Install
10 Replacement Bus Security Cameras and Hard Drives
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April, 2019 Receive
6 Additional Handheld Radios
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May, 2019 Complete
and incorporate Individual Classroom Crisis Response Lists
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June, 2019 Install
New ES and HS Electronic Lock Systems
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July, 2019 Install
Impact-Resistant Glass Coating at all building entrances – doors and windows
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Aug, 2019 install
opaque coating on classroom and select internal doors and windows
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Ongoing Studying
and adding additional secondary door lock systems for classrooms as determined
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Ongoing SRO
educating students through classroom presentations and through ongoing student
interactions
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Improved security to secondary exits through
cameras, peepholes, and alarms
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Ongoing Tornado,
Fire, Emergency Evacuation, Armed Intruder, and other drills
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Ongoing Crisis
Intervention Training
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Ongoing Armed
Intruder Alice Training
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Ongoing involvement
in county-wide discussions re social media and bullying
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Ongoing Student
education, speakers, and assemblies on dangers of social media and bullying
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Ongoing Mental
Health & Recovery Board, Jobs & Family Services Meetings, Family &
Children First Council, and other pertinent meetings
Future Considerations:
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SRO educating through DARE programming (planned
to begin Aug., 2019, if grant approved)
(all students in 5th and 7th
Grades)
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Providing more comprehensive Staff “Unarmed
Self-Defense training” in an intruder situation for all staff
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Software to potentially scan social media for
key phrases, threats, and self-harm
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Install a gate across the NE corner of the HS
Building across to the storage building and fencing to secure the back of the
HS (currently unaffordable)
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Multi-directional signal boosters for MARCs
handheld radios (currently unaffordable)
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We are searching for additional school safety,
opioid, or DARE officer content, if we can qualify for grant money
January – June 2018:
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Expanded & increased Counseling, Therapy, Family
Counseling, Case Management Services through and within Northwestern Schools at
all grades
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Added a third organization to provide additional
services – Family Counseling out of Mansfield – in addition to services
provided by Catholic Charities and ANAZAO
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Peer supports – HS to upper ES students
(training through ANAZAO)
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Positive Behavior Supports (PBIS) – refresher
and more intensive training
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Numerous staff discussions regarding school
safety and security
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Continued anti-bullying efforts
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Continued efforts focusing on individual student
needs and climate/family issues – especially anger management, self-esteem, relationships,
and resiliency
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Wayne County Bullying Conference (Mrs. Beun has
taken an active role and was a panel members and speaker for this spring
county-wide event as well)
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Updated and replaced several security cameras
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Provided Staff “Unarmed Self-Defense training”
in an intruder situation for staff in all three buildings voluntarily
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Purchased and distributed pepper spray to
administrators, secretaries, custodians, interested bus drivers, and other key employees
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Purchased magnetic door lock pads for classroom doors
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Replacement of MS Entrance Security Camera
system
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Mandate that all Secondary exits remain locked
and secured – no propping or unlocking of doors
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Expanded access of our security cameras to
Sheriff Dept. Deputies on their electronic devices
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Purchasing additional direct intercom phones and
programming these to reach the entire building in emergency
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Voluntary unarmed Self-Defense staff training
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Various emergency response trainings
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Select active law enforcement officers approved
to carry concealed weapons on campus at any time
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Previous to 2018 items incorporated included: Ongoing
staff training, ongoing anti-bullying efforts, MARCS Radios installed in each
building, security cameras and electronic buzzer systems for each building, 100
security cameras installed and/or updated in buildings and around campus,
installed multi-camera systems on school buses, emergency medical kits in all
classrooms and specified locations, buzzer lock systems in ES, MS, HS, etc.
As we have
shared before, the very best deterrent is many situations is forging and
maintaining strong relationships and communications with staff, students, and
parents; addressing mental health and behavioral issues, dealing with any
bullying behavior immediately, as well as providing additional counseling
supports for students and families as provided with existing staff, Catholic
Charities, ANAZAO, families, and local clergy.
The grants we have received for these counseling agencies to work with
our students most in need in all of our school buildings through Wayne County
JFS through Title XX funds as approved by the Wayne County Commissioners has
been a much needed additional support for our children each of the past 4
years. Adding Family Life Counseling,
The Counseling Center, Goodwill Industries, other agencies with professional
supports, along with internal professional development, DARE Program with an
excellent SRO, and student education for our children are the best possible
deterrent for internal threats. As far
as external threats the (SRO) School Resource Officer is the best safety
measure we can incorporate.