Report cites 45 positive safety measures already in place
At the May 10 School Board Meeting Duncanville ISD Trustees received a report on the School Safety Assessment conducted in April by National School Safety and Security Services. The report reflects 45 observations of measures already in place in the district prior to the safety assessment that positively contribute to the safety of district facilities.
The assessment group indicated that the district should be proud of these 45 measures. “We don’t normally report that many positive observations,” said Ken Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services. “Duncanville ISD parents and the community should feel confident that school leadership places great emphasis and value on safety and its role in academic achievement.”
The safety assessment group applauded the district for these existing programs:
- positive behavioral support
- peer mediation
- character education
- non-violent crisis intervention training
- a highly successful crimestoppers program
- district-wide standardized dress
- bilingual and translation services
- building level safety teams
- district and building level crisis plans
- safety drills
- visitor sign-in and badge procedures
- school entryways designed to funnel visitors through main office areas
- single-point locking capability for all doors at each building
- keyless badge entry
- overall above-average night lighting
- two-way radios
- mass parent notification system
- use of social media sites
- customer service training
The report also included fourteen priority recommendations to strengthen school safety. The Board of Trustees will review these recommendations and develop a consideration process and timeline for implementation that works best for the district, keeping in mind available resources and funding issues. Some recommendations can be implemented quickly, and others my need to occur over a multi-year period.
Two of the top priorities address the use of metal detection screening. The safety assessment group does not recommend that Duncanville ISD implement a full-scale metal detector program, and discouraged the installation of such equipment at the main entrances of Duncanville High School. The report recommends enhancing the district’s current random metal detector program by expanding the program to include extracurricular events.
Also emphasized was the importance of investing time and resources into the human elements of school safety, with the recommendation that the district’s current successful Crimestoppers anonymous reporting system be further expanded and promoted. Additionally, several of the report recommendations address safety training and professional development opportunities for all staff at all levels, and conducting regular safety discussions and tabletop activities.
District leaders have already experienced a small dose of the type of training National School Safety and Security Services is talking about. On Monday, May 10 the district’s management team members, which includes principals, spent a half-day engaged in a tabletop crisis management training scenario.
To help establish a strong safety training and professional development program along with the implementation of recommended safety initiatives, the safety assessment group recommends that the district dedicate a position to oversee district-wide safety and security.
One of the biggest challenges highlighted by the assessment were public safety jurisdictional issues that create limitations on how school resource officers can respond to campus needs. The report recommends the creation of a Duncanville ISD Police Department to eliminate jurisdictional concerns.
The final sections of the report cover three areas: 1) district recommendations that should be reviewed and considered for inclusion into a strategic school safety plan; 2) individual school observations and recommendations; and 3) code of conduct and crisis plan document review.
The extensive report provided the district with a comprehensive slate of recommendations that can be used to strengthen the positive safety elements already in place within the district. Its recommendations can serve as a guide as the Board of Trustees considers its next steps in the development of a strategic safety and security plan that meets the needs of our community.
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