Safety in Our Schools

• 1,500+ cameras throughout the interior and exterior of our buildings, which can be monitored in real-time or viewed for specific events. This system is viewable off-site by law enforcement.
• The main entrance to a school is for entering and exiting a school; all other entries/exits are to be locked or monitored during the school day. Internal classroom doors can be locked quickly, which is part of regular school drills.
• Access Control System at all sites that allows the restriction and monitoring of who enters the building during all hours of the day and night. 
• Lockout/down system at all sites that locks all exterior main doors with one button operation during a threat called a "lockout". Staff have been trained, when the threat warrants, how to secure all classrooms in a full "lockdown".
• Safety Vestibule or Secure Electronic Entry Systems that lead to the classroom areas. Any new construction includes these features by default, and we are currently working to retrofit our older buildings.
• Security Service that randomly patrols our sites every evening, seven days a week. They walk the site and check for unsecured doors and windows, as well as any suspicious activity.

Our Critical Incident Response Team coordinates a variety of services to support our schools in the event of a crisis. The Team provides communication support, ensures site safety, provides transportation and food services, coordinates student reunification, and provides student and staff support. We also have a Crisis Recovery Team made up of school counselors, nurses, and other staff trained to provide immediate and ongoing support to students, staff, and families to help alleviate the emotional impact of a critical incident.

The Rapid Responder / Easy Alert System notifies leadership staff and the Critical Incident Response Team via email & text with important details in the event of a fire, earthquake, or other incident. Law Enforcement and other Emergency Services access the system for information about the site, including building layout, to help in their response.

Each of our buildings runs a variety of safety drills throughout the year. From fires to active threat training, our students and staff know how to communicate, follow instructions, and where to go in the event of an actual emergency.

This includes lockdown drills (even reverse lockdowns for when a threat may be inside the building), fire drills, earthquake drills, and more.

Every school is required to conduct no less than one (1) safety-related drill each month when school is in session. They must complete at least three (3) lockdown drills, one (1) shelter-in-place drill, and three (3) evacuation drills in accordance with state fire codes each school year. Schools must document the date, time, location, type of drill, lessons learned, and other pertinent information each time. 

The process for responding to drills is standardized across our entire district. Each classroom is provided with specific directions on what to do in the event of an emergency.

Each of our schools has an assigned School Resource Officer (SRO) from either Lacey Police or the Thurston County Sheriff that makes regular rounds to each of their assigned buildings. They foster communication with staff and students and, with that relationship, are able to be immediate points of contact when safety is in question. To speak to an SRO, contact your school.