5142 5142Students
Student Safety
It is the policy of the _____________________ Board of Education to maintain a safe, orderly, civil, and positive learning environment and to be prepared, as far as possible, to prevent and respond quickly and appropriately to unexpected crises, such as emergencies, disasters, and threats.
The Board of Education shall strive to build safe, supportive, and academically challenging school learning environments in partnership with students, staff members, families and community leaders and officials. Supporting these efforts, along with ensuring all facilities, grounds, equipment, and vehicles meet acceptable injury and violence prevention standards for design, installation, use, and maintenance, the Board recognizes that sound emergency preparedness planning and response are essential for the health, welfare, and safety of all students, staff and visitors. All school community members are responsible for doing everything in their power to promote everyone's safety at all times. District staff and students shall be prepared to respond immediately and responsibly to any combination of events that threaten the school community.
The Board directs the Superintendent to develop, maintain, and implement an Emergency Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan (District Security and Safety Plan) and, for each school, a School Security and Safety Plan and administrative procedures that detail provisions for responding to emergencies and disasters. This Plan will articulate the local emergency service providers' role in crisis preparedness and incident management, which shall be included in the District's Security and Safety Plan.
The School Security and Safety Plan
The Superintendent shall use state-approved School Security and Safety Plan Standards and a School Security and Safety Plan Template to comply with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and incorporate the National Incident Command System when updating District-and site-level emergency and disaster preparedness plans. Each school in the District, each school year, will develop and implement a School Security and Safety Plan. Such plan shall be based upon the standards issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection/Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DESPP/DEMHS) and the School Security and Safety Plan Template. In addition to preparedness and response, the plan shall provide guidance on recovery from any emergency incident.
In developing the District and School Security and Safety Plans, which include plans for various crisis scenarios, such as fire, bus accidents, criminal acts, civil disturbances, presence of intruders, hazardous material spill, weather-related emergencies, and bomb threats, the Superintendent shall collaborate with local and state emergency responders and local health officials in compliance with the provisions of PA 13-3.
The Board through the Superintendent, shall annually, by November 1 of each year, submit the School Security and Safety Plans for each school to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection via submission to the District's DEMHS Regional Coordinator in the manner prescribed by said agency.
The Superintendent or designee shall use the School Security and Safety Plan standards and plan templates developed by the Department of Emergency Services, state-approved Standardized Emergency Management System guidelines, be compliant with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and incorporate the National Incident Command System when updating district and site-level emergency and disaster preparedness plans.
The School Security and Safety Plan shall be developed within the context of the four recognized phases of crisis management: Mitigation/Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
District Security and Safety Committee
The District Security and Safety Committee includes the Superintendent, Police Chief, Fire Chief, representative of school leadership, teachers and staff, mental health and special education staff representatives, and others deemed necessary. This Committee shall meet each month and fulfill the following tasks:
• Oversee and facilitate the process for the development and submission of School Security and Safety Plans;
• Ensure that District and school site security and safety plans address an all-hazards approach to emergencies;
• Assist individual school-based crisis response teams (the School Security and Safety Committee) to include community partners and school-based personnel as specified;
• Develop training activities and conduct emergency exercises, such as tabletop exercises, tco support and improve the plan;
• Initiate, build and maintain relationships with community partners;
• Conduct regular safety, security and hazard assessments;
• Establish and update the district emergency management plan.
• Interview vendors that provide products related to school safety and security;
• Meet with the Board of Education committee that oversees district security and safety quarterly to report on the following:
o Input related to policy changes and updates;
o Resources supporting security and safety initiatives;
o Security and Safety concerns facing the District;
o Updates on communication procedures and protocols;
o (Discussions relating to emergency plans may require an Executive Session.)
Each school shall establish a School Security and Safety Committee, which will assist in developing and implementing the school's Security and Safety Plan. Such plans shall be based upon the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection standards.
The members of the Committee shall include a local police officer, local first responder, teacher and administrator from the school, a mental health professional, a parent or legal guardian of a student at the school, a special education teacher, and any other person deemed necessary, such as a school nurse, custodian, local health director, transportation coordinator, etc. Schools shall collaborate closely with law enforcement, fire and emergency services personnel, and community partners, including public health professionals who can assist with the development of a plan that addresses a wide range of crises. A security vulnerability assessment of each school shall be conducted every two years; the results of which shall be incorporated into the school's Security and Safety Plan and reported to the DEMHS Regional Coordinator.
School Security and Safety Plans are to be updated and submitted annually and conform to standards and templates developed by the Department of Emergency Services and the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) pursuant to Section 86 of Public Act 13-3. In addition, the Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the District's procedures include strategies and actions that comply with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) used by all first responders at all levels of prevention/mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
(cf. 5114 - Suspension/Expulsion; Student Due Process)
(cf. 6114.7 - Safe Schools)
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-154a Professional communications between teacher or nurse and student.
10-207 Duties of medical advisors.
10-209 Records not to be public.
10-210 Notice of disease to be given parent or guardian.
10-220f Safety committee
10-221 Boards of education to prescribe rules
10-222m School security and safety plans. School security and safety committees
10-231 Fire drills
19a-221 Quarantine of certain persons.
52-557b Immunity from liability for emergency medical assistance, first aid or medication by injection. School personnel not required to administer or render.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, 45 C.F.R. 99.
P.A. 13-3 An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety (Section 86, 87, 88)
P.A. 19-5 An Act Concerning the Safe Storage of Firearms in the Home and Firearm Safety Programs in Public Schools
Policy adopted: