Two of the district’s Guiding Principles focus on what is best for all students and keeping our students safe. As we prepare to begin another school year, we are once again reviewing and focusing on safety measures that are in place around the district. Some of these safety measures include:

• An additional School Resource Officer has been added this school year. Our SRO’s include:

  • Deputy Jared Duskey, Deputy Levi Freeman & Deputy Branden Skaggs

• Exterior doors are locked at all buildings during the school day.

  • In order to enter the front doors, guests must be buzzed in by a secretary. 

  • All visitors must report to the office and show proper ID upon entry. Identification is scanned and verified before any visitor goes beyond the front office.

• A device called a Nightlock, which is a door barrier device, has been installed in every classroom.

• A barricade was constructed that connects the HS south campus building to the north campus, as well as the ag building to the north campus. This allows students to flow between each of the buildings securely.

• A radio has been installed in each main office. If an intruder enters or an emergency situation occurs, the secretary or other staff member can press a button and local law enforcement and emergency vehicles are dispatched to the building.

• The district partnered with the Safe School Helpline, which provides students, staff and community members an anonymous way to report safety concerns. All reports are private, confidential and anonymous. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/3o01Pj6.

• Staff members are required to complete online safety training courses.

• Safety drills are conducted annually.

• Each building will be implementing a Threat Assessment Team this school year, which is a recent requirement from the Ohio Department of Education. According to the Ohio School Safety Center, the goal of a Threat Assessment is to identify students of concern, assess their risk for engaging in violence or other harmful activities and identify intervention strategies to manage that risk.

• The district works closely with local law enforcement agencies.

We will continue to focus on the safety of our staff and students. All parents and visitors are encouraged to alert the district of any safety concerns. It is vital that we work together to provide the safest environment possible when our students are in our school buildings.