SCHOOL SAFETY INFORMATION

SCHOOL SAFETY INFORMATION

po8400Adopted November 10, 2008Revised May 8, 2023

8400 - SCHOOL SAFETY INFORMATION

The Board of Education is committed to maintaining a safe school environment. The Board believes that school crime and violence are multifaceted problems which need to be addressed in a manner that utilizes the best resources and coordinated efforts of School District personnel, law enforcement agencies, and families. The Board further believes that school administrators and local law enforcement officials must work together to provide for the safety and welfare of students while they are at school or a school-sponsored activity or while enroute to or from school, or a school-sponsored activity. The Board also believes that the first step in addressing school crime and violence is to assess the extent and nature of the problem(s) or threat, and then plan and implement strategies that promote school safety and minimize the likelihood of school crime and violence.

In furtherance of its commitment to a safe school environment, the Board has prohibited weapons on school property and at school-sponsored events, except in very limited circumstances. See Board Policy 3217, Policy 4217, and Policy 5772. This prohibition is reasonably related to legitimate educational concerns, including the ability to provide a safe and secure learning and social environment for its students and controlling and minimizing disruptions to the educational process. The presence of dangerous weapons on school property or at school-sponsored events, except under very controlled circumstances, creates a potentially dangerous situation for students, staff and visitors, and may trigger precautionary safety responses which disrupt the educational process and learning environment for students.

Federal law establishes a "Student Safety Zone" that extends 1,000 feet from the boundary of any school property in relation to weapons and drugs. Individuals are prohibited from possessing or using weapons or drugs at any time on District property, within the Student Safety Zone, or at any District-related event.

The District will work with local officials in arranging signage defining the 1,000 foot boundary.

The Superintendent shall ensure continued implementation and compliance with the District's obligations under the Statewide School Safety Information Policy and related law. The Superintendent may convene meetings to make modifications as deemed necessary and proper to address issues that are unique to the District; discuss additional training that might be needed; and discuss any other such related matters as may be deemed to be necessary by the participants. Participants in this meeting may include the Superintendent, members of the Board, the County Prosecutor or their designee, and representatives from the local law enforcement agencies. The following may also be invited to participate in the meeting:

  1. Chief Judge of Circuit and/or District Courts or their designee, including a representative of the family division;
  2. representative from the Intermediate School District (ISD);
  3. representative(s) from the local child protection agency;
  4. building administrators;
  5. teachers;
  6. parents;
  7. students in grades 9 through 12;
  8. Fire Marshal or designee;
  9. representative(s) from emergency medical services;
  10. representative(s) from county emergency management service agency;
  11. School Resource Officer;
  12. representatives from other school districts within Monroe County.

The Superintendent shall make a report to the Board about all such reviews and recommend the approval and adoption of any proposed revisions or additions to local policy. The Board encourages regular meetings, preferably annually, among the above-listed constituents to review the effectiveness and to review the procedures developed within local policy. 

District Contact Person/Liaison

Furthermore, in accordance with State law, the Board hereby designates the Superintendent as the District contact person who shall receive information from law enforcement officials, prosecutors and the court officials, including receipt of information provided from the Michigan State Police relating to the student safety act hotline (“OK2Say”).  The current contact information for the building principals shall be provided to the Michigan State Police in the manner and frequency required by law.

The District contact person shall notify the principal of the school of attendance of a student about whom information is received from law enforcement officials, prosecutors, or court officials within twenty-four (24) hours of the receipt of that information.  The principal shall, in turn, notify the building staff members, who the principal determines have a need to know the information that has been received, within twenty-four (24) hours of receipt of that information.

The District contact person shall notify the appropriate law enforcement officials when an adult or a student commits any offense listed as a reportable incident in the School Safety Information Policy and related law and shall report all information that is required to be reported to State or local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. Reporting such information is subject to 20 U.S.C. 1232g, commonly referred to as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

If a student is involved in an incident that is reported to law enforcement officials pursuant to the District’s local school safety information policy, then, upon request by school officials, the student’s parent or legal guardian shall execute any waivers or consents necessary to allow school officials access to school, court, or other pertinent records of the student concerning the incident and action taken as a result of the incident.

The District designates the School Resource Officer as a liaison to work with the school safety commission created under the comprehensive school safety and the office of school safety, including work on identifying model practices for determining school safety issues.

Required Reporting

The Superintendent shall submit a report at least annually to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in the form prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, stating the number of students expelled from the District during the preceding school year and the reason for the expulsion.

The Superintendent shall post a report on the District website at least annually, in the form prescribed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, stating the incidents of crime occurring at school. At least annually, a copy of the most recent report of incidents of crime, disaggregated by school building, shall be made available to the parent or legal guardian of each student enrolled in the District. This report will include at least crimes involving:

  1. physical violence;

  2. gang-related acts;

  3. illegal possession of a controlled substance, controlled substance analogue or other intoxicant;

  4. trespassing;

  5. property crimes, including but not limited to theft and vandalism, including an estimate of the cost to the District resulting from the property crime.

Each school building shall collect and keep current on a weekly basis the information required from the report of incidents of crime, and must provide that information, within seven (7) days, upon request.

Additionally, the District shall report all incidents of and attempted commissions of the crimes listed above to the Michigan State Police, in the form and manner prescribed by the Michigan State Police, within twenty‑four (24) hours after the incident occurs.

Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN)

The Board authorizes the Superintendent and/or principal to request vehicle registration information for suspicious vehicles within 1,000 feet of school property through the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN).

Threat Assessment 

The primary purpose of a threat assessment is to minimize the risk of targeted violence at school. This policy is designed to be consistent with the process for identifying, assessing, and managing students who may pose a threat as set forth in the joint U.S. Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security publication, Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model:  An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence. The goal of the threat assessment process is to take appropriate preventive or corrective measures to maintain a safe school environment, protect and support potential victims, and provide assistance, as appropriate, to the student being assessed.

The threat assessment process is centered upon an analysis of the facts and evidence of behavior in a given situation. The appraisal of risk in a threat assessment focuses on actions, communications, and specific circumstances that might suggest that an individual intends to cause physical harm and is engaged in planning or preparing for that event.

The Board authorizes the Superintendent to create building-level, trained threat assessment teams. Each Team shall be headed by the Principal and include a school counselor, school psychologist, instructional personnel, and, where appropriate, the School Resource Officer. At the discretion of the Superintendent, a threat assessment team may serve more than one (1) school when logistics and staff assignments make it feasible.

The Team will meet as needed and when the Principal learns a student has made a threat of violence or engages in concerning communications or behaviors that suggest the likelihood of a threatening situation.

The Team is empowered to gather information, evaluate facts, and make a determination as to whether a given student poses a threat of violence to a target. If an inquiry indicates that there is a risk of violence in a specific situation, the Team may collaborate with others to develop and implement a written plan to manage or reduce the threat posed by the student in that situation.

The Board authorizes the Superintendent to create guidelines for the purpose of:

  1. identifying team participants by position and role;

  2. requiring team participants to undergo appropriate training;

  3. defining the nature and extent of behavior or communication that would trigger a threat assessment and/or action pursuant to a threat assessment;

  4. defining what types of information that may be gathered during the assessment;

  5. stating when and how parents/guardians of the student making the threat shall be notified and involved;

  6. designating the individuals (by position) who would be responsible for gathering and investigating information;

  7. identifying the steps and procedures to be followed from initiation to conclusion of the threat assessment inquiry or investigation.

Board employees, volunteers, and other school community members, including students and parents, shall immediately report to the Superintendent or Principal any expression of intent to harm another person or other statements or behaviors that suggest a student may intend to commit an act of violence.

Nothing in this policy overrides or replaces an individual’s responsibility to contact 911 in an emergency.

Regardless of threat assessment activities or protocols, disciplinary action and referral to law enforcement shall occur as required by State law and Board policy.

Threat assessment team members shall maintain student confidentiality at all times as required by Board Policy 8330 – Student Records, and State and Federal law.

Persistently Dangerous Schools

The Board recognizes that State and Federal law requires that the District report annually incidents which meet the statutory definition of violent criminal offenses that occur in a school, on school grounds, on a school conveyance, or at a school-sponsored activity. It is further understood that the State Department of Education will then use this data to determine whether or not a school is considered "persistently dangerous" as defined by State policy.

Pursuant to the Board’s stated intent to provide a safe school environment, the school administrators are expected to respond appropriately to any and all violations of the Student Code of Conduct, especially those of a serious, violent nature. In any year where the number of reportable incidents of violent criminal offenses in any school exceed the threshold number established in State policy, the Superintendent shall convene a meeting of the building administrator, representative(s) of the local law enforcement agencies, and any other individuals deemed appropriate for the purpose of developing a plan of corrective action that can be implemented in an effort to reduce the number of these incidents in the subsequent year.

The Superintendent shall make a report to the Board about this plan of corrective action and shall recommend approval and adoption of it.

In the unexpected event that the number of reportable incidents in three (3) consecutive school years exceeds the statutory threshold and the school is identified as persistently dangerous, students attending the school shall have the choice option as provided in Policy 5113.02 and AG 5113.02.

In addition, the Superintendent shall convene a meeting of the building administrator, representative(s) of the local law enforcement agencies, and any other individuals deemed appropriate for the purpose of developing a plan of corrective action that can be implemented in an effort to reduce the number of these incidents in the subsequent year.

Victims of Violent Crime

The Board further recognizes that, despite the diligent efforts of school administrators and staff to provide a safe school environment, an individual student may be a victim of a violent crime in a school, on school grounds, on a school conveyance, or at a school-sponsored activity. In accordance with Federal and State law, the parents of the eligible student shall have the choice options provided by Policy 5113.02 and AG 5113.02.

Revised 7/13/15
Revised 2/8/16
Revised 6/12/17
Revised 6/10/19
Revised 12/6/19
Revised 8/26/20
Revised 4/12/21

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