QUESTIONS PARENTS CAN ASK ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY

 

The following are some questions to ask school officials:

1.     Does the school have a plan in place that identifies aberrant behavior, and what steps will the school take to remove potentially dangerous individuals from the campus?

2.     Does the school regularly review and update its security procedures?

3.     Has the school brought the students into the dialog on what should be done in the case of an emergency?

4.     Does the school have a campus-wide warning   system in place, such as sirens, text messaging, and cell phone warnings?

5.     What is the relationship between campus security and the local and state police? How closely do they cooperate and do they have a coordinated emergency plan?

6.     What would happen to a student if he or she were found to have a weapon on campus?

7.     How does the school define weapons?

8.     How quickly can campus security lock down or secure all buildings on campus?

9.     What is the school’s policy on bringing guns (or any weapon on campus including sling shots) onto campus?

10.  What is the school’s policy if a student is caught sending harassing or threatening emails to someone?

11.  Can a student, staff, or faculty member be directed to seek a psychological evaluation and treatment?

12.  How quickly are parents notified if a student is causing a problem or disturbance—or appears to be exhibiting behavior that others consider threatening? (To be continued)