School Safety & Security

School Safety & Security Coordinator – Mrs. Catherine Girton

Contents:

  • ALICE Active Shooter Training

  • District Surveillance Systems

  • Emergency Drills in All Buildings

  • Employee Assistance Program

  • Law Enforcement and First Responder Collaboration

  • Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)

  • Professional Development

  • Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVAT)

  • Safe2Say Team Creation and Training

  • Safe Crisis Management (SCM) Teams

  • School Resource Officers

  • School Safety & Security Coordinator

  • Social, Emotional and Behavioral Wellness Intervention System

  • Student Services

  • Threat Assessment Teams

 ALICE Active Shooter Training

The district continues to follow the ALICE model of response in the event of a violent incident.  Yearly drills with employees and students are conducted to implement the strategies.  ALICE is an acronym that stands for ALERT, LOCKDOWN, INFORM, COUNTER, and EVACUATE.  These responses are not linear and each individual chooses how to respond to a situation based on the information known to them and their current situation. 

Building Security

All buildings remain locked throughout the school day.  The district uses an all-call system to alert the entire building of any threats.  The district also uses Navigate360 emergency communication system, which allows for communication among administration and employees, access to flip charts and allows for accountability of individuals during an emergency.  Identified personnel can utilize Team Alert software to initiate a low level or high level threat in their work area, which communicates to SRO’s and additional personnel to respond.  Classrooms and offices have Night Lock lock down devices in the event the building is in an immediate threat to safety. Each room also has a ALICE bag that includes emergency flip charts, which is a tool for students and employees to use explaining the emergency operation procedures.  Building plans and numbered doors shared with emergency operations personnel allow for quick access when called, reducing the amount of time needed to respond to an emergency.  All buildings have a visitor registration system to identify who is in a building at any given time and to identify visitors who are not wearing school district ID.

COVID Response

As required by Governor Wolf, the district brought together almost 30 school stakeholders to develop a Pandemic Team in the summer of 2020.  This team, along with collaboration with other CSIU school districts, presented a Health and Safety Plan to the School Board.  The School Board maintains a board-approved Health & Safety Plan that is also submitted and approved to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.  This plan is reviewed every six months or earlier as needed. The district’s Pandemic Coordinator maintains close communication with the Department of Health and monitors regional COVID-19 positive cases, transmission spread rate and vaccination rates to determine if recommendations are needed for a change in the plan.

District Surveillance Systems

Closed circuit surveillance systems are present in all district buildings.  There are also cameras present on our district buses. The secondary complex went through a $150,000 upgrade, funded completely through a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant.

Emergency Drills in All Buildings

As required by law, all school buildings conduct monthly drills.  These drills include but are not limited to fire drills, bus evacuation drills, intruder drills, and severe weather drills. Emergency flip charts are available in every classroom and office to provide employees with their copy of the district’s emergency operations plan.  Both employees and students receive training on emergency procedures.

Employee Assistance Program

As a school district benefit, employees are able to access an Employee Assistance Program.  This is a voluntary, work-based program that offers free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and follow-up services to employees who have personal and/or work-related problems.

Law Enforcement and First Responder Collaboration

Annually, law enforcement and the local fire department walk the buildings with our principals. Milton appreciates its relationship with the area police, first responders and hospital partners.  There are frequent collaborative meetings among district employees and Milton Borough Police to monitor safety issues, threats, discipline issues, and future planning of trainings.

Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS)

Since 2015, students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 have completed the Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS), sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime & Delinquency (PCCD). The results of this survey helps to guide the district’s work in the area of social, emotional, and behavioral wellness.  The district administration team has worked closely with the McDowell Institute to implement research-based strategies to improve the wellness our school community.  The district maintains an action plan to address concerns raised within the PAYS data.  The district’s most recent data collection was November 2021 and results will be obtained in Spring 2022.

Professional Development

The district provides training to address situational awareness, trauma-informed education awareness, behavioral health awareness, suicide and bullying awareness, threat assessment, and emergency training.  Depending on your role in the district, one may receive advanced training in these areas. All employees were provided inclusive practice training addressing diversity, bullying, disabilities, homelessness, racial bias, civil rights, and discrimination during the 2020-2021 school year.  During the 2021-2022 school year, employees were trained in the following areas: Safe Schools online courses (bullying, threat assessment, student mental health, youth suicide, de-escalation strategies),  trauma principles, Team Alert, Navigate360, NIMS (National Incident Management System), ALICE certification and re-certification, NASRO Advanced School Resource Officer course, Safe Crisis Management, Student Assistance Program (SAP), threat assessment train-the-trainer, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and current drug trends.

Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (RVAT)

The Pennsylvania State Police completed a Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for the district in April 2019.  The district used this information to seek grant funding and develop the plans to improve district security.  In April 2022, the Department of Education completed a physical assessment of both elementary schools and a district wide behavioral health climate assessment.  The district is awaiting the results of these assessments.

Safe2Say Team Creation and Training

As per Act 44 of 2018, the State Attorney General’s Office established the Safe2Say Anonymous Tip Line, which began in January 2019. Annually, the district provides information to secondary students on the use of this system to report any concerns to the team.  The Attorney General’s office, local law enforcement and the school district work cooperatively to respond to every tip.  Yearly, students in grades 6-12 receive training on the use of Safe2Say.  Throughout secondary buildings, posters are displayed for students to use the app, website or phone number. Additionally, there is a direct link from our district website for tips to be submitted. The district maintains 7 employees on the 24 hour/365 day Safe2Say crisis team.  Both school resource officers and the Chief of Police also receive the school district tips.

Safe Crisis Management (SCM) Teams

The district has Safe Crisis Management (SCM) Teams in all buildings.  The team members are certified through the JKM company, a nationally recognized trainer.  Many of our building principals have advanced training and are recognized JKM certified trainers.   This team responds when students are in crisis and attempt to de-escalate the situation, and when necessary, respond to any aggressive behavior. All certified individuals receive re-certification.  All building principals are Safe Crisis Management trainers.

School Resource Officers

Milton Borough Police Department provides uniformed, armed police officers for use in the school district as part of an agreement with the school district. In the 2020-21 school year, the district was able to secure 100% grant funding to add a second officer to the team.  The SRO program has shown success in our district since the 2000-01 school year, when it was first implemented. The school district provides the officers specific training to work in schools and with youth.  Both of the officers have certifications through the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO).  By using Milton Borough Police Department officers as our SRO’s, the district receives the full response of the police department when needed and allows for 24 hour investigations.

School Safety & Security Coordinator

As per Act 44 of 2018, Governor Wolf signed into law on June 22, 2018, each district must name a School Safety and Security Coordinator. The current School Safety and Security Coordinator is Catherine Girton, Director of Student Services.

  • Oversee school resource officer(s);

  • Review safety/security policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the law;

  • Coordinate training for students and school entity staff;

  • Coordinate school safety and security assessments, as necessary;

  • Serve as liaison with the statewide School Safety and Security Committee;

  • Report to the school entity board (via executive session) by June 30 each year on school safety and security;

  • Coordinate a biennial tour of the school entity’s buildings and grounds with law enforcement, first responders, and principals to discuss/coordinate school safety/security matters.

Social, Emotional and Behavioral Wellness Intervention System

Efforts to improve the overall wellness of our students are organized in a tiered intervention system.   Through the district’s Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework, all students receive interventions in Tier 1.  As student needs increase, additional interventions are added in Tier 2 and 3, if needed. All students receive Positive Action, Life Skills and Too Good for Drugs curriculum throughout their education in the district.  Additionally, each building implements a positive behavioral support model which involves teaching appropriate behaviors and reinforcing expected behaviors when displayed.  The district uses the BASC BESS universal screener to identify students who may need additional guidance support.  The Pennsylvania Department of Education School Climate Surveys are administered with board approval to assess how safe individuals feel in our district.

Student Services

Currently the district employs 7 guidance counselors,  3 social workers and home and school visitors, 1 Dean of Students, 3 school psychologists, and 1 Special Education Facilitator to support the unique needs our students.  The district also opens its doors in order for students to receive mental health counseling without having to leave the school building. Each building has a Student Assistance Team to further assist in helping students receive the support needed.  School guidance counselors, social workers, home and school visitor and school nurses received advanced training in trauma.

Threat Assessment Teams

The district has trained Threat Assessment Teams in each building. These team members have advanced training to determine the level of threat a student poses to the district based on a process created by the United States Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  This team works in collaboration with local law enforcement and county mental health agencies to have a multi-agency approach to responding to threats made by students.  Principals lead their building level teams and received professional development this year to become certified Threat Assessment Team trainers. Contact the building principal at 570-742-7614 to make a referral.