A lockdown is used when a serious threat exists to the campus that requires students, staff and visitors to get to an area of safety. A lockdown may be ordered by law enforcement, the school principal or any school staff who identify a potential threat. Based on the information gathered, staff and students respond with the Lock Out – Get Out – Take Out model, a continuous spectrum of options. 

These three options outline the three main choices available in any emergency situation. Lock Out is locking and barricading inside a room. Get Out is moving from an unsafe area or area that can’t be secured. Take Out, the last resort, is fighting a potential attacker. The option chosen is based on the facts known to students and staff. Each area of the school may face different circumstances and therefore, use different options. In some cases, the area in which students and staff are located can’t be locked down and they must Get Out of that area. They may move to a room that can be Locked Out or they may exit and run as far as possible from the building. 

Once law enforcement arrives on site, they are in charge, and the district must follow their directives. We work closely and collaboratively with the School Resource Deputies who work in our schools to respond to threats.

We understand that the first reaction of most parents is to come to their child’s school. However, we ask that parents and guardians wait until we advise them that it is safe to pick up their student. It is important to keep the streets, parking area, and phone lines open for emergency responders. Parents arriving unadvised to the school may hinder the emergency response and could jeopardize their own safety. In a lockdown, no one other than law enforcement and necessary school personnel will be let into the building. 

During a lockdown, staff are not able to answer incoming phone calls as they are following the same procedures as the students to ensure their safety. During other emergency responses, callers may not be able to get through to the office because of an increase in the volume of calls or because staff are helping to ensure students and staff are safe. You can expect to receive information from the school as soon as we are able to provide it. 

In most lockdown scenarios, we advise that students and staff remain as quiet as possible and not use their phones. However, if you are contacted by your child, encourage them to remain calm and to follow the directions of teachers and staff.

The district will notify parents as soon as possible about the lockdown via email and/or text message using our School Messenger system. This is why it’s vitally important to keep your contact information up-to-date.

Emergency situations are fluid and always changing. Information shared by outside sources such as personal Facebook pages and sometimes even news media may be inaccurate. The district’s first step, even prior to communication, is to secure the building and ensure the safety of students and staff. Then, we will notify families and staff of what we know and our next steps.

Everyone will remain in lockdown mode until law enforcement has determined the threat no longer exists. The lockdown may be lifted via intercom or law enforcement may go door to door unlocking classrooms and notifying students and staff. After the lockdown ends, normal school activities may resume. In rare cases, the district may decide to end the school day early and release students to their parents.