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By: Chris Hardman, Ph.D.
Private schools in the United States face unique challenges when it comes to the on-campus safety of staff and student. Often, private schools do not have access to the resources afforded to public schools. These critical resources may include elements like SRO coverage, state-provided safety training, and grant funding available to public schools for additional safety equipment.
To better address these safety and security gaps, let’s explore some of the critical questions and potential solutions associated with safety in private schools.
1. Emergency Operation Plans (EOP)
Q: Who owns safety at the administrative level? Are safety-related plans documented and easily accessible to staff members?
A: An EOP is critical in any school setting to ensure that plans are approved by the proper administrative body and that there is a clear, documented process that can be accessed by staff members. Protocols and assignments as to who will serve in which role during an emergency saves important time should a critical incident occur.
2. SRO/Fire/EMS Coverage
Q: Do agreements exist with municipalities and/or cities to provide police presence on school grounds? Are those officers NASRO certified? Will your Emergency Management Agency (EMA) provide support in the event of an emergency?
A: If your municipality does not provide SRO coverage, then you’ll want to make sure to clearly define what a police presence and response to the school will look like. This should include:
- Law enforcement’s role during an on-campus emergency;
- If SROs are provided by a local law enforcement agency, whether those officers have been specially trained to serve in a school setting.
Local EMAs often support public schools in the event of an emergency—such as by providing supplies, shelter, and transportation—so clearly defining the role the EMA fills at the private school will help clarify post-incident roles and responsibilities.
3. Reunification Transportation
Q: Private schools often do not have bussing. In the event of relocation, is there adequate student and staff transportation in place? Has a reunification site been determined and communicated to parents/guardians?
A: Coordination with local surrounding agencies—namely area public schools—is vital when it comes to post-incident transportation to a secondary location. A plan to bus students to a safe place where they can be reunited with parents/guardians is a foundational element of any EOP, and transportation must be agreed to in advance.
4. Communication
Q: What methods of internal communication are used to alert students and staff to an emergency? Who owns parent communication and what method is used? Is there a designated public information contact?
A: Having a specially designed messaging application for use during an emergency is best practice. This way, staff can relay critical details in real-time during an incident. It is also important to designate the individual who will communicate important information to parents—such as information about the reunification site—and the method by which they will communicate the information.
Raptor Alert includes group chats within the app so users can provide critical communication capabilities during an emergency, easing stress and directing resources efficiently. And the person initiating the alert can connect to 911 directly via the mobile application, voice call, or, where available, text-to-911. This means the initiator can provide additional context and answer questions, allowing the 911 operators to better inform first responders.
5. Safety Meetings/Trainings
Q: Are safety meetings held regularly during the school year? If so, who leads them? Are regular staff trainings held? If so, who determines best practices?
A: Since safety trainings held by the state Department of Education may not be readily available to private schools, it is recommended that one or more staff members be tasked with regular safety training. Partnering with law enforcement may prove to be helpful in this instance as well. It is further recommended that a standing safety committee be in place at the private school and that the committee meet at least quarterly to address the current state of safety on the campus.
Partnering with Raptor includes access to resources and guides. Admin and user training and support are thorough and easily accessible, including:
- The Raptor Professional Services team guides the implementation and training at both the administrator and user levels.
- A designated Customer Success manager helps ensure the district’s overall, sustainable success of the district.
- Raptor Technical Support is available to answer day-to-day questions.
- Raptor University is available 24/7 with online access to training materials, including documentation and video tutorials as well as live and recorded webinars.
6. Streamlined Language
Q: Are terms used to indicate emergencies consistent across all staff members? Do staff know the definition of the terms? Are some staff using “soft lockdown,” half lockdown,” “shelter-in-place,” or “secure your area?”
A: Clear and concise communication is important during an incident. Streamlined language, understood by emergency responders, students, and staff alike, helps eliminate confusion during an emergency.
Resources such as The “I Love U Guys” Foundation provide proven and effective examples of terminology that may be used. 100% aligned with and licensed by The “I Love U Guys” Foundation protocols, Raptor’s patented reunification workflow supports the roles and activities of an effective reunification—helping reduce the impact and chaos of a crisis by reuniting families faster.
7. Supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing
Q: Are you prepared to coordinate special resources for needs that may arise outside the scope of school administration? Do your policies, procedures, and resources provide staff with the tools they need to approach low-level concerns related to student mental health and wellbeing?
A: Put together a multidisciplinary team—including administration, police, and nurses as well as counselors—to address concerns related to student wellbeing. Provide the entirety of your staff with the means to document and share their concerns about student wellness with this team.
Low-level concerns might include:
Further, to better support students in the aftermath of an emergency, make sure your plans include a team comprised of counselors, nurses, mental health professionals, and spiritual leaders to help provide critical trauma support at your reunification site. It’s important to note that while your school may have some of these personnel resources in-house, if a crisis occurs, they will be contending with their own trauma as well—so having outside support is critical.
Early intervention is the most important and effective way to support a student who may be experiencing challenges they are not equipped to manage. Being able to recognize a student in the initial stages of distress empowers schools to reduce that child’s exposure and give them the support they need to cope and heal.
Raptor’s patented StudentSafeTM technology brings together the systems that help schools recognize, document, support, and manage the wellbeing of individual students. With safeguarding and behavioral threat assessment (BTA) methodologies, StudentSafe uses proven methods to help schools recognize a student in need of early intervention and provide support for their wellbeing.
Partnering with Raptor means partnering with school safety experts
School safety requires a complex ecosystem of plans, procedures, resources, and tools—so this list is not comprehensive of all considerations a private school must make. Rather, it addresses the most critical aspects of school safety.
The effort placed into emergency preparation is vital to your school’s ability to successfully navigate an emergency and subsequent recovery. Raptor’s school safety software experts can help you develop your school safety ecosystem.
Talk to a school safety software expert today.
Chris Hardman, Ph.D.
Dr. Chris Hardman has extensive experience in both law enforcement and K-12 safety and security. Before joining Raptor, he received his Ph.D. in Adult Education from Auburn University with a dissertation exploring public education employees’ perceptions of School Resource Officers (SROs). He resides with his children in Auburn, AL where he loves cheering on Auburn University football and basketball with his son as well as watching his oldest daughter march in the high school band and his youngest daughter play volleyball.
Related Resources
Guide to K-12 Student Wellbeing
Strategies to Recognize, Document, and Support Students in Distress
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