6114.7 6114.7Instruction
Safe Schools
The Board of Education is committed to the prevention of violence against people or property in the schools or at school activities, whether by students, staff or others. While committed to the protection of each person's constitutional rights, including due process rights, the Board does not condone lawlessness. Any individual committing violent acts in or on school property will be disciplined according to applicable Board policy and regulations.
Staff members who implement this or any other Board policy will receive the full support of the Board and the administration.
The Board shall establish an advisory committee to review specific policies, regulations, plans and procedures in order to ensure a comprehensive and effective program to prevent and punish vandalism and violence occurring in the schools and on district property. Simultaneously with the work of the committee, the Superintendent of Schools and appropriate school administrators shall review the practices at each school and shall submit a separate report to the Board including any findings and recommendations on the implementation of committee suggestions on these and other policies, regulations, plans and procedures concerning safety. Members of the advisory committee* shall include a Board member, the Superintendent of Schools, appropriate school personnel, a student representative, parents, and other community representatives. All members shall be appointed by the Board.
The advisory committee shall examine the policies, regulations, plans and procedures concerning:
1. student conduct and discipline;
2. the maintenance of public order on school property;
3. the banning of weapons on school property;
4. drug and alcohol abuse;
5. school emergency management;
6. coordination efforts with law enforcement agencies;
7. searches and seizures by school officials;
8. training for staff and students in conflict resolution and violence prevention; and
9. building security measures including procedures governing visitors to the schools and access to school buildings.
The advisory committee shall review these and other policies, regulations, plans, and procedures, as directed, to ensure that they are:
1. consistent with law and regulation;
2. clear, complete and enforceable; and
3. appropriately disseminated to students, staff, parents and are available to the general public.
The advisory committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the Board prior to public release. Final reports shall be delivered to the Board at a meeting scheduled by the Board to receive the report.
Any official policy level action is the sole discretion of the Board. The Board is in no way obligated to follow committee recommendations. The Board has the right to accept, reject or modify all or any part of a committee recommendation.
*Districts may also want to use shared decision-making committees for conducting this review in individual school buildings.
The Board shall conduct a security and vulnerability assessment of the District schools every two years and develop a school security and safety plan for each school based upon the assessment results. The Board, as required, shall submit to the DEMHS Regional Coordinator the required information pertaining to the District's school security and safety plans.
In the development of a school security and safety plan, a district crisis response team shall be assembled that includes a variety of professionals with expertise in emergency management, (e.g., chief executive officer of the municipality, police, fire and emergency services personnel), and include community partners such as public and mental health professionals and school based staff. The district teams shall work closely with school-based crisis response teams to develop district-wide and building-specific emergency management plans. Such plans shall be compliant with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and incorporate the National Incident Command System, and be compliant with the standards for such plans issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). The plans shall utilize the School Security and Safety Plan Template which meets all-hazards threats, as released and revised by the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The Board will annually develop and implement a school security and safety plan for each school and review, update, and submit such plans to the DESPP as required. Each school shall also establish a school's security and safety committee to assist in developing and administering the school's safety and security plan.
The crisis management plan shall be developed within the context of the four recognized phases of crisis management:
Mitigation/Prevention addresses what schools and the District can do to reduce or eliminate the risk to life and property.
Preparedness focuses on the process of planning for the worst case scenario.
Response is devoted to the steps to take during a crisis.
Recovery pertains to how to restore the learning and teaching environment after a crisis.
Crisis management must be viewed as a continuous process in which all phases of the plan are being reviewed and revised. The plan must be continuously updated based upon experience, research and changing vulnerabilities.
(cf. 5131 - Conduct at School and Activities)
(cf. 5131.5 - Vandalism)
(cf. 5131.6 - Drugs/Alcohol and Tobacco)
(cf. 5131.8 - Out of School Misconduct)
(cf. 5131.9 - Gang Action by or Association)
(cf. 5132 - Dress and Grooming)
(cf. 5141.6 - Crisis Management Plan)
(cf. 5146 - Child Abuse and Neglect)
(cf. 5142 - Student Safety)
(cf. 5147 - Suicide Prevention)
(cf. 5143 - Student Health Assessments and Immunizations)
(cf. 5144 - Administering Medications)
(cf. 5145 - Communicable and Infectious Diseases)
(cf. 5114 - Suspension/Expulsion/Exclusion/Removal)
(cf. 6114 - Emergencies)
(cf. 6161.11 - Drugs/Alcohol and Tobacco)
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
4-176e through 4-185 Uniform Administrative Procedure Act.
10-19 Teaching about alcohol, nicotine or tobacco, drugs and acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Training of personnel.
10-221 Boards of education to prescribe rules.
10-222m - School security and safety plans. School security and safety committees
10-222n - School security and safety plan standards
10-233a through 10-233f re in-school suspension, suspension, expulsion. (As amended by PA 95-304, An Act Concerning School Safety).
52-572 Parental liability for torts of minors. Damage defined.
53a-3 Firearms and deadly weapons.
53-206 Carrying and sale of dangerous weapons.
53a-217b Possession of firearms and deadly weapons on school grounds.
PA 94-221 An Act Concerning School Safety.
PA 95-304 An Act Concerning School Safety.
PA 97-290 An Act Enhancing Educational Choices and Opportunities.
PA 13-3 An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children's Safety (Sections 86, 87, 88)
GOALS 2000: Education America Act.
18 U.S.C. 921 Definitions.
Title III - Amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Sec. 314 (Local Control Over Violence).
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as amended by the Gun Free Schools Act of 1994.
New Jersey v. TLO., 469 U.S. 325; 1055. CT. 733.
Policy adopted:
6114.7
Instruction
Safe Schools
School Athletic Event Security Strategies
Some athletic events, such as widely attended high school football and basketball games may be considered high risk in terms of security. In such situations, the following strategies may be employed if deemed necessary.
Provide adequate adult supervision and staffing. Factors to consider in determining what is "adequate" include:
The anticipated size of the crowd;
The size of the facilities and grounds (including parking lots) used for the event;
Past history of incidents at similar events;
"Intelligence" information received about current conflicts at the school and in the community that could spill-over into the event, and other related considerations.
Events with larger crowds should employ sworn law enforcement officers. (School districts with their own school police and/or school resource officers (SROs) should give priority to using these officers.)
Deploy police, security personnel, and school staff in a manner which provides adequate coverage to the facilities being used for the event. This includes at ticket gates, perimeter entrance/exit points, parking lots, common areas (restrooms, concession stands, etc.), on the playing grounds/inner field perimeter, in the stands, and at other key locations. Have police in uniform and security staff in clearly identifiable clothing.
Train police, security personnel, and staff on techniques for monitoring crowds (and not the athletic event on the field), verbal de-escalation skills, procedures for handling fights and riots, handling emergency medical situations, evacuation procedures, tasks related to specific operations (ticket-taking procedures, concession stand operations, etc.), and emergency guidelines.
Equip staff with two-way radios. Issue school cell phones to select staff assigned to the event.
Review policies related to admission, limitations of items that can be carried in, right to search spectators at admission point (metal detector scans, bag searches, etc.), no passes out and back in once admitted, spectator conduct, and other security protocols. Post rules outside and inside of admission gates, and elsewhere in the facility. Enforce the rules in a firm, fair, and consistent manner.
Establish procedures for advance ticket sales and on-site ticket sales. Have staff ticket-selling and ticket-taking procedures with adequate police, security, and ticket-taking staff at admission gates. Stop ticket sales after a designated time.
Maintain separate locker rooms for home and visitor teams. Have team buses pick-up and drop-off at opposite sides of the playing facility to avoid interaction before and after the game.
Separate spectator seating into clearly designated areas, i.e., home team in bleachers on one side and visiting team on other side.
Administrators and safety officials from the schools playing a given event should communicate with each other in advance of the event to discuss procedures, safety concerns, security practices, emergency guidelines, investigation into rumors and any recent incidents which could result in conflicts, and associated logistics.
Secure perimeter doors of schools and gate off sections of the building not used for the actual athletic event in a manner which is in accordance with fire safety regulations.
Create a plan for parking procedures, traffic flow, parking lot staffing during entire game and related issues. Advise students in advance to coordinate pick-ups by parents outside of the parking lots on the perimeter of the grounds.
Evaluate lighting in stadiums, athletic facilities, parking lots, and perimeter around the school and event grounds.
Establish code of sportsmanlike conduct and educate players, coaches, cheerleaders, the band, students, parents, and others on the code in advance of the game.
Have P.A. announcers make announcements at the beginning of the game and at other times, as necessary, regarding sportsmanlike conduct behavioral expectations.
Have clear procedures, roles, and responsibilities for clearing and locking down facilities upon completion of the game.
Establish written emergency guidelines. Test and exercise the written guidelines to make sure they would work in an emergency. Train all staff involved in supervising events on the guidelines.
Administrators and safety personnel from both schools involved in the event should coordinate information in advance and review security procedures and written emergency guidelines.
School administrators and safety personnel should coordinate with emergency medical personnel in advance of the event.
Staff assignments with roles and responsibilities in the event of an emergency should be clearly delineated.
Create emergency communications procedures and protocols to be engaged in the event of an emergency incident at the event.
Regulation approved: