School districts in San Joaquin County have a patchwork of safety policies and procedures that aren’t specific to school sites and, in some cases, are going unread or tested, according to findings from a civil grand jury that argue more can be done to protect students and staff. The grand jury issued a series of recommendations after examining safety measures at 14 public school districts, the San Joaquin County Office of Education and after looking into best practices and interviewing district and school officials. | RELATED | Read the full grand jury report here Among the issues flagged by the grand jury and recommendations for addressing them: School Safety Plans are found lackingMany school sites are unprepared for an emergency because a state-mandated comprehensive school safety plan often was created from a template with “boilerplate” language, the report said. For example, the documents fail to outline what should happen if there would be a derailment near a site located close to train tracks or if a car fell from a freeway onto another school site located nearby. Also, many of the plans were not updated with involvement from teachers, support staff, and parents or crafted in a “meaningful” collaboration with law enforcement as they should have been. Most districts didn’t include an assessment of crime at schools, and many did not address the unique needs of students with disabilities, the report said. And many districts also failed to describe a system for how to reunite parents with their kids in the event of an evacuation or safety emergency. “Interviews and conversations with district administrators and school personnel often indicated limited knowledge of the safety information within these lengthy plans or even where the plan was physically located,” the report said. The grand jury recommended getting input from key stakeholders by Dec. 15 on the plans and holding a public meeting to discuss them by Feb. 1. By March, each school site’s plan should include a crime assessment, address the needs of students with disabilities, include a description of family reunifications during emergencies and account for dangers unique to the sites. A need for more participation in training The grand jury’s report said that the county’s office of education, for the first time, convened a half-day school safety summit in November 2022. But three of the county’s 14 school districts did not send a representative, “thereby missing an opportunity to work together to make schools safer,” the report said. The report called for full participation in the next safety summit, as well as more drills and meetings year-round.“Basic, age‐appropriate drills should be the focus of any safety training involving students. Overly dramatic drills that create student anxiety should be avoided,” the report said. “Safety training for school employees must be more than a once‐a‐year event; it must be integrated into staff meetings throughout the school year and must include not only teachers and administrators but also support staff. Safety drills for staff and students must be diversified in the type and timing of the drills.” By Oct. 1, administrators should create a “post-incident” report on the safety drills, the report said. Safety problems with procedures on campus On-campus visits by members of the grand jury found that safety check-in procedures were not always followed consistently and varied by district, according to the report. And emergency procedures weren’t always posted in all classrooms or common areas. The 26-page report did commend Lincoln Unified for using a “Raptor system” that printed badges for visitors and staff reclaimed them at the end of the tour. The grand jury also praised Banta Unified for a check-in system that buzzed visitors into a waiting area where their IDs could then be checked. Overall, the report called for sites to implement by Oct. 1 a system to consistently verify visitors’ identities and collect ID badges when they leave. The report also called for posting evacuation maps in all classrooms and common areas, developing a better plan for door-locking policies and covering all windows so people can’t see into classrooms. A “positive school culture” is one key to school safety A portion of the grand jury’s report focused on best practices and noted that recent gun incidents have led some experts to say there has been a “skewed focus on target hardening.” “The emphasis on physical security measures has created a failure to focus on human factors and the fundamentals of school security and culture,” the report said. It cited the benefits of a positive school culture that can result in “a greater sense of shared responsibility for the well‐being and safety of everyone in the school.”Students would then be “more likely to report concerns or potential safety issues.”In contrast, a negative culture with bullying, harassment, discrimination or facilities in disrepair can contribute “to a sense of isolation and disengagement that increases the risk of violence or other safety issues,” the report said. Ways to measure a positive culture that reflects school pride include having student artwork showcased on campus, clean and well-maintained grounds, and an open and trusting relationship between staff and students, the report said.San Joaquin County Office of Education responds to grand jury’s report. Here is their statement: “The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) has received the School Safety report from the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury and will thoroughly review the findings and recommendations in preparing a response. The Civil Grand Jury plays a crucial role in providing community oversight over local institutions, and we appreciate that it has chosen to review the important issue of school safety.”From creating a positive school culture to updating safety protocols, maintaining school safety is of paramount importance to the SJCOE. Ensuring school safety is a shared responsibility and one of the reasons we are committed to continue hosting the annual Safe Schools Summit, which brings together educators, school staff, and law enforcement to learn from each other, share best practices, and improve safety countywide.”
School districts in San Joaquin County have a patchwork of safety policies and procedures that aren’t specific to school sites and, in some cases, are going unread or tested, according to findings from a civil grand jury that argue more can be done to protect students and staff.
The grand jury issued a series of recommendations after examining safety measures at 14 public school districts, the San Joaquin County Office of Education and after looking into best practices and interviewing district and school officials.
| RELATED | Read the full grand jury report here
Among the issues flagged by the grand jury and recommendations for addressing them:
School Safety Plans are found lacking
Many school sites are unprepared for an emergency because a state-mandated comprehensive school safety plan often was created from a template with “boilerplate” language, the report said.
For example, the documents fail to outline what should happen if there would be a derailment near a site located close to train tracks or if a car fell from a freeway onto another school site located nearby.
Also, many of the plans were not updated with involvement from teachers, support staff, and parents or crafted in a “meaningful” collaboration with law enforcement as they should have been.
Most districts didn’t include an assessment of crime at schools, and many did not address the unique needs of students with disabilities, the report said.
And many districts also failed to describe a system for how to reunite parents with their kids in the event of an evacuation or safety emergency.
“Interviews and conversations with district administrators and school personnel often indicated limited knowledge of the safety information within these lengthy plans or even where the plan was physically located,” the report said.
The grand jury recommended getting input from key stakeholders by Dec. 15 on the plans and holding a public meeting to discuss them by Feb. 1.
By March, each school site’s plan should include a crime assessment, address the needs of students with disabilities, include a description of family reunifications during emergencies and account for dangers unique to the sites.
A need for more participation in training
The grand jury’s report said that the county’s office of education, for the first time, convened a half-day school safety summit in November 2022.
But three of the county’s 14 school districts did not send a representative, “thereby missing an opportunity to work together to make schools safer,” the report said.
The report called for full participation in the next safety summit, as well as more drills and meetings year-round.
“Basic, age‐appropriate drills should be the focus of any safety training involving students. Overly dramatic drills that create student anxiety should be avoided,” the report said. “Safety training for school employees must be more than a once‐a‐year event; it must be integrated into staff meetings throughout the school year and must include not only teachers and administrators but also support staff. Safety drills for staff and students must be diversified in the type and timing of the drills.”
By Oct. 1, administrators should create a “post-incident” report on the safety drills, the report said.
Safety problems with procedures on campus
On-campus visits by members of the grand jury found that safety check-in procedures were not always followed consistently and varied by district, according to the report.
And emergency procedures weren’t always posted in all classrooms or common areas.
The 26-page report did commend Lincoln Unified for using a “Raptor system” that printed badges for visitors and staff reclaimed them at the end of the tour.
The grand jury also praised Banta Unified for a check-in system that buzzed visitors into a waiting area where their IDs could then be checked.
Overall, the report called for sites to implement by Oct. 1 a system to consistently verify visitors’ identities and collect ID badges when they leave.
The report also called for posting evacuation maps in all classrooms and common areas, developing a better plan for door-locking policies and covering all windows so people can’t see into classrooms.
A “positive school culture” is one key to school safety
A portion of the grand jury’s report focused on best practices and noted that recent gun incidents have led some experts to say there has been a “skewed focus on target hardening.”
“The emphasis on physical security measures has created a failure to focus on human factors and the fundamentals of school security and culture,” the report said.
It cited the benefits of a positive school culture that can result in “a greater sense of shared responsibility for the well‐being and safety of everyone in the school.”
Students would then be “more likely to report concerns or potential safety issues.”
In contrast, a negative culture with bullying, harassment, discrimination or facilities in disrepair can contribute “to a sense of isolation and disengagement that increases the risk of violence or other safety issues,” the report said.
Ways to measure a positive culture that reflects school pride include having student artwork showcased on campus, clean and well-maintained grounds, and an open and trusting relationship between staff and students, the report said.
San Joaquin County Office of Education responds to grand jury’s report.
Here is their statement:
“The San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) has received the School Safety report from the San Joaquin County Civil Grand Jury and will thoroughly review the findings and recommendations in preparing a response. The Civil Grand Jury plays a crucial role in providing community oversight over local institutions, and we appreciate that it has chosen to review the important issue of school safety.
“From creating a positive school culture to updating safety protocols, maintaining school safety is of paramount importance to the SJCOE. Ensuring school safety is a shared responsibility and one of the reasons we are committed to continue hosting the annual Safe Schools Summit, which brings together educators, school staff, and law enforcement to learn from each other, share best practices, and improve safety countywide.”
