AugLM2022

Cost-Effective Ways to Enhance School Safety Examples of School Safety Improvements That Can Be Implemented at Little or No Cost

By Dr. Roger Alvey, superintendent of Illini Bluffs Unit District #327

There are two words that school superintendents love to hear—cheap and free. When it comes to school safety and security, it is critical that school administrators take the time to implement relatively easy and inexpensive safety measures in an all-hazards approach to school safety. Although Illini Bluffs Unit District #327 has invested significant money in high dollar items—such as a new phone system, a new public announcement system, a new camera system, new exterior doors and a new fire alarm system—there are many things that have been completed that are more budget- friendly. Here are some examples of low-hanging fruit that are either free or relatively inexpensive to implement, in an effort to improve upon the overall safety plan and to further instill a culture of school safety. Policies, Procedures, and Drills 1. Conduct your own site safety assessment. Something is better than nothing. You don’t have to pay significant money to outside sources when you can do rudimentary things yourself. Use a multi-disciplinary approach to identify and evaluate physical security. 2. Lock all outside doors and reinforce a “no propping” policy. This is a simple but effective concept. 3. Enhance fire drills by periodically implementing injectables. For example, blocking off selected exits to see how students and staff react, or “kidnap” a student (an employee’s child works best when you give the employee notice) to see if the staff recognizes the student’s absence. 4. Practice a reverse evacuation for fire drills. Sometimes, conditions outside might be more dangerous than inside. Likewise, practice a delayed evacuation. Teach staff members situational awareness. Stop, look, and listen. Is there smoke? Are there flames? Are there strange noises?

5. Bus evacuation drills: engage students in the decision- making process. WIN: What’s Important Now? Ask students how they would react to a fire in the back, in the front or if the bus were turned on its side. Do they know about roof hatches? Do they know about egress windows and how they operate? Do all staff participate in drills, besides drivers, recognizing that buses are used for extracurricular activities and field trips? 6. Active Shooter Drills: Unannounced active shooter drills are no longer allowed under Illinois law, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a scenario that engages students and staff in the WIN philosophy. Open individual classroom doors during a lockdown and present scenarios to students and staff in each room. Ask them what would you do if smoke started to come under your door? How would you go about breaking the window, if necessary, to escape? What might cause you to have to exit the room? In advance of this session, be sure to coordinate with local first responders so that they don’t think it is an actual event and respond with weapons drawn, which could pose a danger. 7. Single point of entry: Do you require all visitors, including students, to enter through a single location for easier monitoring? 8. Substitute teachers: Do you conduct annual training with subs on safety protocols and procedures? Do you inform veteran teachers when subs are present in the event of an emergency? Building Exterior 1. Physical access control: Do office staff have a direct line of sight to the entry door? Do they have a direct line of sight to a video/camera monitor? Do you have a monitor in the receptionist area that shows camera views from across the building or complex? 2. Proper visitor management and control is imperative to maintaining a safe environment. Do visitors sign in and sign out? Do they provide identification? Is

16 LM August 2022