Safety and Security Plan

Spring Lake Park Schools – and all staff - are committed to keeping our school communities safe and welcoming places to learn. We have developed measures to protect our children and to respond in the event of an emergency.

We have a layered system of security in place that covers prevention, protection, mitigation, response and recovery. While we cannot share specific security measures, actions or tactics, we work continually and closely with our law enforcement partners to implement best practices, detect potential threats, and prepare our buildings and staff to respond in case of an emergency.

There is some important information to know to be prepared for any emergency or threat:

Our Standard Response Protocol
Family and community emergency roles
Practicing our emergency responses
Communication in an emergency

Weather Closings and Alerts

We live in MN which means sometimes we have to close our buildings or change our schedule due to weather. Snow and extremely cold weather could cause schools to close for the day, move to a flexible, at-home learning day, start late, or dismiss early. Learn more our approach to weather closings and how you can expect to receive alerts.

Our Standard Response Protocol

During an emergency, or threat of an emergency, school officials and law enforcement take specific, planned steps to keep students safe. We follow a Standard Response Protocol to provide consistent and simple language across districts, first responders, staff, parents and students. The Standard Response Protocol was developed by the I Love You Guys Foundation and is now widely in use in our community, state and across the nation.

The Standard Response Protocol includes five responses paired with a directive.

HOLD – Stay in your room or area

HOLD is initiated when there is a non-threatening circumstance and people need to be kept away from areas (such as student or staff medical emergency).

Actions:

Building leaders communicate the scope of the HOLD
Staff and students follow the directions communicated.

Often, this includes moving students out of the identified restricted area and restricting access to identified area

SECURE – Stay inside

SECURE is initiated when there is a threat outside of the building. This might be something like a law enforcement request given an external situation or a threatening looking animal on campus grounds, etc.

Actions:

An announcement is made.
External doors are locked.
Students and staff who are outside would come inside. There are no outdoor activities during SECURE.
School continues as usual inside of the building until an “all clear.”

LOCKDOWN – Lights, locks, out of sight

LOCKDOWN is initiated when there is a threat inside the school building. Why would we go into Lockdown?

Someone is in the building that shouldn’t be
Weapon report
Some other perceived internal threat

Actions:

Public Announcement System Recorded Message is broadcast indoors and outdoors.
Exterior doors lock.
Interior doors close and lock.
Key Cards are disabled inside and outside of facility*.
Alarm system calls 911.
Strobes are activated in large spaces; gyms, cafeteria, music rooms.
Video signage is activated.
District computers display popup lockdown message.
District Safety/Security Team & Administration are notified and engaged.
Students and staff keep out of sight and are silent.

EVACUATE – Evacuate the building

EVACUATE is initiated when everyone in the building must get out.

Actions:

An announcement is made.
Staff and students follow the instructions on what to do and where to go.
If necessary, a reunification site is established to facilitate students and families being reunited at a location other than the school.

SHELTER – Take shelter

Watch: Safety and Security at SLP

Family and community emergency roles

Parents, guardians and other members of the community should refrain from coming to any campus during an emergency, unless asked to do so. Law enforcement and school personnel are busy responding to the situation. Your arrival or calls may distract them from their work and endanger everyone at the site. We ask that anyone not already at the location:

Stay away from the site. The most important contribution you can make to students’ safety and your own safety may be staying away from the school.
Stay Informed. Information will be shared directly with families as soon as possible. Please know, in some situations, accurate information may take some time to verify and share.
Be prepared. Be ready to follow instructions from Spring Lake Park Schools.

Practicing our emergency responses

Throughout the school year, we practice emergency procedures for potential responses that may be needed:

Fire evacuation: The state of Minnesota requires all public schools to conduct five drills per school year. Procedures are posted in each classroom.
Tornado/Severe Weather Shelter: Each year our schools participate in a mandatory tornado drill. When the alarm sounds, students and their teachers practice going to the designated shelter area.
Lockdown: The state of Minnesota requires all public schools to conduct five lockdown drills per school year. These drills allow students and staff to practice procedures to maintain their safety in the event of a threat inside or outside the building. For lockdown drills, families are provided advance notice and the option to have their child not participate.

Communication in an emergency

During an emergency, the district will provide information as quickly as possible, but in some situations accurate information may take some time to verify and share.

Information will be shared directly with parents and guardians via phone, email and text message based on the emergency notification preferences selected in Campus Parent Portal. We follow the same processes we use for weather-related school closings and alerts. Initial notifications may not include many details, as the situation is developing and accurate information is gathered. Additional updates will be sent as more information becomes available.

Direct communication will be employed first – before social media or any other channels that do not directly reach all impacted families. We ask community members to not rely on social media for the most up-to-date or accurate information and to refrain from sharing information on social media that has not been confirmed by a district or law enforcement official.