I know we’re barely into summer; but the school year will start again soon. I thought it would be good to share this from the District’s webpage
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School District Five of Lexington & Richland Counties is committed to the safety of its students and staff. Through proactive measures and coordination with local law enforcement, the district aims to prevent or minimize the effects of emergencies or serious violent incidents and to facilitate seamless coordination with police in the event of emergencies in our schools.
Many parts of the district’s plan are confidential to protect the integrity of school safety plans. However, we wanted to share a few measures that demonstrate the high priority we place on the safety of our schools. Our keys to school safety include:
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Through the leadership of our school board and our partnership with local law enforcement, School District Five has at least one full-time School Resource Officer in each school. Our Superintendent’s Emergency Responders Advisory group meets with district leaders to provide information and input regarding school safety.
DRILLS
School District Five conducts more than 360 drills with schools each year. These drills help ensure students and staff are prepared to quickly make their way to safety in the event of an emergency.
SAFETY OFFICERS
In addition to SROs, School District Five has full-time Safety Officers who work with law enforcement on confidential school-level safety plans. They also lead ongoing drills and training for students and staff.
COMMUNICATIONS
The district works with law enforcement to communicate pertinent information when appropriate. School messages are coordinated through the district, and updates are provided as information becomes available.
TRAINING
The district’s Safety Officers provide training for school staff and conduct several drills with students and staff, including drills for shelter-in-place, fire and lockout situations.
It takes an entire community to keep our schools safe. Please visit our website at www.lexrich5.org/safety for more information. Though we can’t share specific information about our emergency plans or safety measures, the information here will help prepare parents in the event of an emergency.
The Department of Homeland Security also has information about awareness. Visit the following link for information on the agency’s “If You See Something, Say Something” materials: https://www.dhs.gov/see-something-say-something#
If you have specific concerns or questions about a school or suggestions for improvement, please reach out to your school principal or the district’s Office of Planning and Administration at 476-8121.