School Safety

A Safety Committee is made up of administrators, buildings and grounds staff members, the school resource officer and external partners. The vision of the committee is to ensure the safety of all students, staff and visitors. The committee meets regularly to set priorities and develop action plans regarding safety issues.

A national campus safety consultant firm conducted an audit of district security protocol and procedures during the 2016-17 school year. The comprehensive report noted the overall strength of the district and its schools in the areas of security, climate and culture. The audit also made recommendations where opportunities for improvement exist. The report serves as a roadmap for our implementation of best practices in prevention, preparedness and response to crisis situations.

Every year, school administrators participate in district-organized review and training of responses to irregular or emergency situations. Tabletop exercises help administrators think through their responses to various situations that may arise, both critical and noncritical.

Responses in emergencies are a critical part of our safety efforts. Regular practice for staff and students helps ensure that best practices are followed automatically in the case of a true emergency.

MTSD schools practice an annual tornado drill and monthly fire drills, in compliance with state law. Schools also practice a lockdown drill annually. We know that while practicing for a lockdown drill is necessary, this activity may produce uneasiness among some students. School leaders work with diligence year-round to ensure that students understand their schools as places where they can feel assured of their safety. In advance of drills, teachers prepare students with age-appropriate conversations around the importance of keeping children safe and the steps to take in the event of an emergency situation.

Our school district benefits from the Mequon Police Department’s assignment of two full-time school resource officers. The officers help prepare our schools to handle crises by informing crisis planning and management systems, developing and coordinating emergency response plans, creating protocols for handling specific emergencies, and assisting in the facilitation of emergency response exercises. The officers not only protect our schools, but also serve as an additional adult connection and trusted role models.

We implemented the use of the V-Soft Raptor visitor management system in 2014. Raptor is a visitor registration system that enhances school security by reading the drivers’ licenses of all visitors and comparing that information to a sex offender database. If the system indicates that a visitor is listed as a registered sex offender, state law prohibits that individual from entering the building, unless prior notification requesting entry into that building was submitted and approved. A visitor to any of our buildings is asked to wear identification that includes his/her name, photo, time and date of the visit.

We believe that our ability to provide open and transparent communication with our parents is critically important in maintaining trust. To that end, we have established protocols for communication with parents in the event of an irregular situation. Parents may receive important information via email, phone call or SMS (text) at the contact numbers and addresses on record in Infinite Campus. Parents may check and modify their contact preference at any time in their Infinite Campus parent portal.

Social-emotional coaches, counselors and psychologists are integral in our support of students. Team members are trained to identify students in need of preventative intervention and support, and are additionally trained to support students’ emotional well-being in the event of an emergency situation.