The District has moved to ensure that all schools have a single point of entry/registration for visitors to schools. Before and after school the number of open gates is limited and staff monitor each open gate. Non-essential gates are closed and locked after student entry and dismissal. Once the instructional day has begun, all visitors & outsiders are required to register in the office to request permission to enter the closed campus for specific reasons. All visitors and outsiders must sign in and provide ID and a valid reason for visiting. Registration for permission to visit a school campus is required by State law and RUSD Board Policy. The purpose for this is to:

• Reduce disruption to the educational process of the school
• Limit access for those who have no business being on the school grounds, who may disrupt the educational process, or who pose a threat to students and/or staff
• Know who’s on campus
• To control who comes in and out
• In the event of an emergency, account for everyone on campus

The District implemented an Electronic Visitor Management System through Raptor Technologies. Raptor is an integrated school safety software that enables schools to screen visitors and track volunteers. The electronic visitor management system checks all visitors’ ID on the National database registry for sex offenders. Access to a school campus shall be given ONLY to those who present proper ID.

State Law requires that every school have a Comprehensive Safe School Plan (Site Safety Plan). Revisions to these plans must be submitted to the District by March 1st of each year. Plans are reviewed and approved by each school’s safety committee or school site council.

Comprehensive Safe Schools Plans include sections on site security, child abuse, disaster preparedness, suspension/expulsion, bullying/non- discrimination/harassment, student discipline, notification to teachers, and student dress and grooming.

• Each school site plan includes Active Shooter drills (Mandated 2 per year: Run, Hide, Fight)
• Plans cover multiple scenarios – earthquakes, wellness, intruders, active shooters, lockdowns, lock-outs, etc.
• Disaster preparedness
• Safe school environments

Currently State Law and Board Policy require visitors to show their ID to verify who they are and their reason for requesting a visit. An Electronic Visitor Management System (Raptor Technologies) scans a visitor/outsider’s ID against national sex offender database by comparing the individual’s name, birthdate, and picture with those found in the database. The system may also be programmed to scan for restraining orders, custody papers, among other things, which may prevent an individual’s access to the school campus. The system sends alerts to designated staff regarding individuals on the “no visit” list. Those visitors who are cleared to enter the facility are given ID stickers to wear while on campus.

The Board of Education has passed Board Policy 1250 Visitors/Outsiders. In the policy the Board of Education encourages interested parents/guardians and community members to visit the schools and participate in the educational program. As required by State Law (Penal Code 627.2, Education Code 32211) and RUSD Policy/Rules and Regulations (BP/RR 1250), ALL visitors are required to register in the office upon entering the school premises during school hours. This requirement includes parents, guardians, RUSD staff not assigned to the school, public employees, volunteers, media, public officials, and all other outsiders/visitors requesting to visit the school. The Board of Education encourages all individuals while on District property or participating in District or school-related activities to assist in maintaining a safe and secure school environment by behaving in an orderly manner, modeling civility and treating students, parents, community members, and District employees with dignity and respect. In the interest of presenting positive role models to students, the District encourages positive communication, discourages behavior that may appear rude, uncaring, unduly harsh, or insensitive, and will not tolerate volatile, hostile, or aggressive actions. The District seeks public and employee cooperation with this endeavor. The District encourages use of its complaint processes to address any concerns with District programs or employees.

Since 2015 RUSD has utilized a Threat Assessment Protocol for assessing students and/or staff who have been identified through their words, behaviors, written correspondence, emails, texts, etc. as potentially posing a threat for school violence or harm to themselves. Once an individual is suspected of potential school violence or self-harm, it is brought to the attention of school staff. A multi-disciplinary team comprising the site administrator, a SAP counselor, school psychologist, school counselor, teacher, and the School Resource Officer (SRO) meets to do a review of the individual’s background, behavior, communications, etc., and determine a threat level and take necessary action.

RPD has its own threat assessment using S.T.A.R. (School Threat Assessment and Response) Protocol. S.T.A.R. is initiated with any site based threat assessment and may include a home visit to determine access to weapons and level of threat from a law enforcement perspective. The results are communicated back to RUSD and included in the site threat assessment. Threat response plans, and interventions are put into place depending on the findings of the threat assessment. If the level is determined to be high, the District Threat Assessment Team is assembled to determine immediate response from the Police and the District.

Software used on District computers by students is automatically filtered and alerts RUSD staff to threats of violence and/or self-harm. The purpose of this filtering is to prevent student access to unacceptable websites and to notify staff of students who may be at risk of self-harm, school violence, and suicide. Each alert is responded to with a threat or suicide assessment so that the student receives the support and services they need to assist them. The filtering is active 24/7 and parents are notified when the system has alerted staff that their child has been identified as a potential for self-harm or school violence.

Information regarding student use of District technology and the acceptable use policy for student use of the internet can be found in the Parent/Student Handbook.

RPD monitors social media and responds to threats found either by RPD or by RUSD. The role of the Riverside Police Department is to monitor social media for any threats to the city. RPD alerts RUSD when there is a potential threat involving District students or schools.

District staff are required to complete active shooter training at the beginning of each school year. Staff is trained on advanced active shooter procedures recommended by law enforcement that emphasizes “Run, Hide, Fight”. This strategy provides explicit instructions for various active intruder scenarios. Site administrators are instructed to conduct active intruder/shooter drills to train students on the procedures to enact in the event of an active intruder incident. The “Run, Hide, Fight” consists of the following:

RUN

• Have an escape route and plan in mind
• Leave your belongings behind
• Keep your hands visible

HIDE

• Hide in an area out of the shooter’s view
• Block/Barricade entry to your hiding place and lock the doors
• Silence your cell phone and/or electronic devices

FIGHT

• As a last resort and only when your life is in imminent danger
• Attempt to incapacitate the shooter
• Act with physical aggression and throw items at the active shooter

A positive identification system for all District employees has been implemented. District staff are issued a universal employee picture ID badge. District Staff must wear their ID badge, all other visitors/outsiders are provided with a visitor badge/sticker after screening by the electronic visitor management system is completed.

RUSD has an account with “We-Tip” to report any concern anonymously to protect students. The WeTip hotline number is (844) 951-2990. Tips may also be submitted electronically by logging onto https://bit.ly/RUSDWeTip. The link and phone number to WeTip may be found on the footer of every school site’s webpage.

The District provides professional support to RUSD students and staff experiencing trauma (divorce, death in the family, bullying, depression, etc.) and teaches students social skills. RUSD has the following programs designed to support student wellness:

• Student Assistance Program (SAP) – Counseling
• School Counselors (Middle & High School)
• School Psychologists
• Crisis Response Team (school psychologists and SAP counselors)

The District utilizes a variety of methods to communicate to parents and community. They include auto-dialer phone calls to parents and staff, email blasts, and text messages for those who have opted into this feature, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The procedures for dealing with major disasters and intruders on campus, including lockdown, evacuation, and reunification of students with their parents/guardians are included in the school site safety and disaster preparedness plans. In a lockdown/evacuation situation, the priority will always be to ensure student safety. This means that students will not be released to parents/guardians until police, fire, or district administration determines that the situation leading to a lockdown/evacuation is clear and it is safe to reunify students with their parents.

In such situations, parents will not be permitted entrance into the affected school or access to their children and may be directed to a location away from the school until authorities determine that it is safe to release the students. As it is safe to do so, district and/or law enforcement officials will provide parents and the community with information updates as they are available. It is important that parents and the community follow the directions of school and law enforcement authorities in emergency situations to help ensure the safety of all students and staff.

If it is determined that students need to be evacuated from a school for safety reasons, the students will be transported to an evacuation location. In some cases this location will be pre-determined in the site’s safety plan, in other situations, the location may be determined in collaboration with law enforcement based on safety needs and circumstances.

Again, in such situations, parents will not be permitted entrance into the affected school or access to their children until it is safe to do so and all students are accounted for. Parents may be directed to a location away from the school until authorities determine that it is safe to release the students. As it is safe to do so, District and/or law enforcement officials will provide parents and the community with information updates as they are available. It is important that parents and the community follow the directions of school and law enforcement authorities in emergency situations to help ensure the safety of all students and staff.

After the emergency event has been cleared, the District will notify parents through phone calls, social media, email, and texts of the reunification location or where to pick-up their children. This may be the same location as the evacuation location or students may be transported to a special reunification location.

RUSD has the following safety personnel at school sites:

• Site Administrators
• 18 Campus Supervisors at Elementary School sites with no Assistant Principal
• 3 Campus Supervisors at each Middle School site, STEM, and EOC
• 7 Campus Supervisors at each High School site
• 5 School Resource Officers assigned by the Riverside Police Department to each comprehensive High School site and their feeder schools.

Additional personnel are dispatched by the District office from other sites as needed in emergency situations.

The procedures for lockdown and lockout situations are included in all Comprehensive School Safety Plans (CSSP) for each site. A lockdown is initiated if there is an imminent threat to students and staff, on or adjacent to campus. This may include multiple individuals fighting, intruder, brandished weapons, evidence of concealed weapon or suspicious explosive device.

In a lockdown situation, students and staff move indoors, lock doors, secure gates, no circulation of staff or students in halls or on campus, remain quiet, no educational instruction, turn off light and no entrance by visitors. Intruder/Active Shooter procedures are activated.

A lockout is a precautionary action initiated by the administrator or local law enforcement, but there is no imminent threat to students and staff. This may include law enforcement activity in the community, natural gas leak, potential environmental hazard, insect swarms, or animals on campus. During a lockout, students and staff move indoors, lock doors, secure gates, limited student circulation except with adult escort/supervision, instruction continues, and entrance by visitors is not permitted.

Included in the Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP) for each site and the District Safety Plan are descriptions of three levels of response to emergency situations. First Level Response may include, but not limited to student demonstrations, large fights or confrontation, sit down strikes, adult or student interference, walkouts, personal assault, property damage, non-violent intruders and police activity in the school community deemed dangerous to students and staff. First level Responses are controlled with school resources such as administrators, campus supervisors, and SRO’s.

Second Level Response is declared by the school principal or designee when a current or projected situation cannot be controlled or contained with available school resources. Typically this includes initiating lockout procedures, (see the difference between Lockdown and Lockout), for events such as a neighborhood break-in, fire, police activity or police chase in the vicinity of the school.

Third Level Response is declared when a situation may require assistance beyond the schools staff and District’s response team. Third Level Response results in a lockdown and activation of Intruder/Active Shooter procedures, (RUN, HIDE, FIGHT). This level requires support by law enforcement and/or fire department resources. This level occurs when the school, students, and staff are determined to be in imminent danger.