In a school board meeting a little over 15 years ago,
the Auburn School District board of directors made a commitment to the
community they serve by developing and implementing the following mission
statement: “In a safe environment, all students will achieve high
standards of learning in order to become ethically responsible decision
makers and lifelong learners.”
Auburn School District continues to implement
effective strategies to ensure safe schools. The district, under the
leadership of the board of directors, has a sound Emergency Preparedness
and Crisis Management Plan, which involves support and coordination from
the community-at-large.
All Auburn schoolhouses and district facilities are
prepared to handle emergencies, from a natural disaster to a school
intruder. Auburn School District is committed to securing a safe haven for
each and every child during the school day by taking the following
precautions:
- Two full-time commissioned school police
officers are on call daily to respond to situations at all schools, and
a security officer is stationed at each comprehensive high school to
enforce school safety;
- Staff and students are trained to handle
emergencies via practice drills. For example, students district-wide
know exactly what to do in lockdown, fire, earthquake, lahar, drive-by
shootings and other emergency situations;*
- The district has a 24-hour live and confidential
safety hotline—1-866-548-3847 Ext. 150—that everyone is encouraged to call to
report concerns or incidents;**
- Seismic reinforcing is in place at district
schools—next time you are driving past Auburn High School, notice the
glass blocks on the front facade, which have been reinforced to prevent
shattering in the event of an earthquake;
- All schools have been aerially photographed and
mapped so that first responders and police officers readily know a
school’s surrounding community and property boundaries and the floor
plan of the school;
- Multiple schools require staff and volunteers to
wear ID badges so they can be easily identified;
- All district staff and volunteers are required to
undergo a background check through the Washington State Patrol—staff are
also fingerprinted upon employment;
- Before- and after-school supervision is provided;
- Students learn to report any and all suspicious
activity;
- Personal safety, safe walking and cycling
practices, safe bus-riding practices and violence prevention lessons are
taught throughout the year by the Auburn Fire Department, school
counselors and the local police department;
- The annual Reaching Out Fair provides
youth-oriented community resources to both encourage and support healthy
adolescent development;
- Parents are encouraged to ask questions and be
involved in their child’s school safety plan.
* Across the district, regular building safety drills
are held in which students practice safety procedures. The goal is to have
schools prepared for any emergency, including the need to keep students
and staff safe and secure on school campus for up to 72 hours. Drills
include: monthly fire drills; drop, duck and cover earthquake drills;
intruder alert drills; lockdown drills; drive-by shooting drills;
emergency evacuation drills; playground emergency drills; and bus
evacuation drills.
** The Safety Hotline Program is
coordinated between Auburn School District and its security alarm system
provider. Students, parents and concerned citizens are encouraged to dial
1-866-548-3847 Ext. 150 at
any time, 24 hours a day, to report student safety concerns. All calls are
confidential. Following the completion of the call, the security alarm
system provider will provide appropriate notification based upon the
report received. For example, if the report received indicates an
immediate danger, as in a bomb threat or a fight in progress, an immediate
call is made to 911 and/or other appropriate agencies. Alternately, a
report may not contain information that indicates an immediate threat or
danger. Under these circumstances the security alarm system provider will
contact an officer of the district to share the information.
Revised 10/26/06
