We want our community to be aware of our continued commitment to staff and student safety which includes multiple, proactive approaches to fortifying security throughout our buildings. We follow state guidelines and local and state police recommendations for these protocols and continue to enhance and upgrade the safety features of our facilities.
Recently, we have significantly improved the coverage and quality of the camera systems in both of our elementary schools. The installation of these systems is not yet fully complete, but portions of the equipment are now functioning. This camera system can both record and be monitored in live time and will be used by our building leaders and school resource officers (SROs) to monitor school activity both inside and outside of our buildings. We expect to extend improvements to other existing camera systems by updating the equipment at our Middle School and High School in the coming years. Note: No cameras are located in areas where a person would normally have an expectation of privacy.
Some of the other security measures at our RCS buildings include:
Visitor sign-in procedures
Use of electronic badge systems for staff
Regular drills for students and staff, including lockdown, lockout, shelter-in-place, and evacuation
Staff member training on crisis management and identifying students who may need additional supports.
Building and District Safety Plans and building-level Crisis Response Teams (CRT). Note: the public District-Wide Safety Plan can be found on our website. Law enforcement and emergency response agencies have copies of these plans and participate and consult in school emergency drills.
The responsibility to keep our children safe lies with all of us. Our CRTs, the District Health and Safety Committee, and leadership teams continuously examine the best ways to accomplish this task. While strong protocols have been in place for numerous years, they evolve as new research and recommendations are presented.