Policy 340 - Safety
Adopted on August 25, 2022
Effective August 25, 2022
The Board of Education is committed to maintaining a safe environment in all of the County's schools. The Board believes that school crime and violence are multifaceted problems that need to be addressed in a manner that utilizes all available resources in the community through a coordinated effort of school district personnel, law enforcement agencies, and families. The Board further believes that school administrators and local law enforcement officials must work together to provide for the safety and welfare of students while they are at school or a school-related event. The Board also believes that the first step in addressing school crime and violence is to assess the extent and nature of the problem(s), and then plan and implement strategies that promote school safety and minimize the likelihood of school crime and violence.
County Council on Productive and Safe Schools
To that end, the Superintendent shall develop a School Safety Plan with input from the County Council on Productive and Safe Schools. The Council shall be comprised of the following members:
A. the county superintendent, who shall serve as the Chair of the County-wide Council on Productive and Safe Schools;
B. one (1) representative from each local school improvement council, to be elected by a majority vote of each local school improvement council;
C. the prosecuting attorney or his/her designee;
D. a representative of the Department of Health and Human Resources;
E. a representative of the law-enforcement agencies situated in the county in which the school is situated to be recommended by the county sheriff;
F. a representative of the Board to be appointed by the President of the Board;
G. the supervisor of transportation;
H. a representative of the Regional Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center as designated by the Office of Behavioral Health Services in which the school system is situated, to be appointed by the Executive Director of the Center;
I. when the members listed in A through H do not include at least two (2) classroom teachers, then the Superintendent shall appoint additional members so that at least two (2) classroom teachers are members of the County-wide Council;
J. when the members listed in A through H do not include at least two (2) school principals, then the county Superintendent shall appoint additional members so that at least two (2) school principals are members of the County-wide Council.
No meetings of the County-wide Council shall be held during instructional time.
Thereafter, The Superintendent shall convene a meeting of the County Council on Productive and Safe Schools annually for the purpose of reviewing the School Safety Plan, and making modifications as deemed necessary and proper; identifying additional training that might be needed; and discussing any other such related matters as may be deemed to be necessary by the participants.
The Superintendent shall make a report to the Board about this review and recommend the approval and adoption of any proposed revisions or additions to the School Safety Plan.
Persistently Dangerous Schools
The Board recognizes that State and Federal law requires that the County report annually incidents which meet the statutory definition of violent criminal offenses that occur in a school, on school grounds, on a school conveyance, or at a school-sponsored activity. It is further understood that the State Department of Education will then use this data to determine whether or not a school is considered "persistently dangerous" as defined by State policy.
Pursuant to the Board's stated intent to provide a safe school environment, the school administrators are expected to respond appropriately to any and all violations of the Student Code of Conduct, especially those of a serious, violent nature. In any year where the number of reportable incidents of violent criminal offenses in any school exceed the threshold number established in State policy, the Superintendent shall convene a meeting of the building administrator, representative(s) of the local law enforcement agencies, and any other individuals deemed appropriate for the purpose of developing a plan of corrective action that can be implemented in an effort to reduce the number of these incidents in the subsequent year.
The Superintendent shall make a report to the Board about this plan of corrective action and shall recommend approval and adoption of it.
In the unexpected event that the number of reportable incidents in three consecutive school years exceeds the statutory threshold and the school is identified as persistently dangerous, students attending the school shall have the choice option as provided in Policy 440.
In addition, the Superintendent shall discuss the school's designation as a persistently dangerous school at the annual meeting for the purpose of reviewing the School Safety Plan so that a plan of corrective action can be developed and implemented in an effort to reduce the number of these incidents in the subsequent year.
Victims of Violent Crime
The Board further recognizes that, despite the diligent efforts of school administrators and staff to provide a safe school environment, an individual student may be a victim of a violent crime in a school, on school grounds, on a school conveyance, or at a school-sponsored activity. In accordance with Federal and State law the parents of the eligible student shall have the choice options provided by Policy 440.
School Safety and Crisis Intervention
The Board of Education is committed to maintaining a safe school environment. The Board believes that school crime and violence are multifaceted problems that need to be addressed in a manner that utilizes the best resources and coordinated efforts of County personnel, law enforcement agencies, and families. The Board further believes that administrators and local law enforcement officials must work together to provide for the safety and welfare of students while they are at school or a school-sponsored activity or while enroute to or from school, or a school-sponsored activity. The Board also believes that the first step in addressing school crime and violence is to assess the extent and nature of the problem(s) or threat, and then plan and implement strategies that promote school safety and minimize the likelihood of school crime and violence.
The Superintendent shall promulgate administrative guidelines for responding to a crisis situation, developing a prevention plan, and providing effective intervention for students who may show warning signs that relate to violence or other troubling behaviors.
Threat Assessment
The primary purpose of a threat assessment is to minimize the risk of targeted violence at school. This policy is designed to be consistent with the process for identifying, assessing, and managing students who may pose a threat, as set forth in the joint U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education publication, Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates. The goal of the threat assessment process is to take appropriate preventive or corrective measures to maintain a safe school environment, protect and support potential victims, and provide assistance, as appropriate, to the student being assessed.
The threat assessment process is centered upon an analysis of the facts and evidence of behavior in a given situation. The appraisal of risk in a threat assessment focuses on actions, communications, and specific circumstances that might suggest that an individual intends to cause physical harm and is engaged in planning or preparing for that event.
The Board of Education authorizes the Superintendent to create building-level, trained threat assessment teams. Each Team shall be headed by the Principal and include a school counselor, school psychologist, instructional personnel, and, where appropriate, the School Resource Officer. At the discretion of the Superintendent, a threat assessment team may serve more than one (1) school when logistics and staff assignments make it feasible.
The Team will meet when the Principal learns a student has made a threat of violence or engages in concerning communications or behaviors that suggest the likelihood of a threatening situation.
The Team is empowered to gather information, evaluate facts, and make a determination as to whether a given student poses a threat of violence to a target. If an inquiry indicates that there is a risk of violence in a specific situation, the Team may collaborate with others to develop and implement a written plan to manage or reduce the threat posed by the student in that situation.
The Board authorizes the Superintendent to create guidelines for the purpose of:
A. identifying team participants by position and role;
B. requiring team participants to undergo appropriate training;
C. defining the nature and extent of behavior or communication that would trigger a threat assessment and/or action pursuant to a threat assessment;
D. defining the types of information that may be gathered during the assessment;
E. stating when and how parents/guardians of the student making the threat shall be notified and involved, subject to West Virginia Board of Education Policy 4373 regarding notification of parents/guardians;
F. designating the individuals (by position) who would be responsible for gathering and investigating information; and
G. identifying the steps and procedures to be followed from initiation to conclusion of the threat assessment inquiry or investigation.
Board employees, volunteers, and other school community members, including students and parents, shall immediately report to the Superintendent or Principal any expression of intent to harm another person or other statements or behaviors that suggest a student may intend to commit an act of violence.
Nothing in this policy overrides or replaces an individual's responsibility to contact 911 in an emergency.
Regardless of threat assessment activities or protocols, disciplinary action and referral to law enforcement shall occur as required by State law and Board policy.
Threat assessment team members shall maintain student confidentiality at all times as required by Policy 330, and State and Federal law.
Mandatory Reporting of Sexual Offenses on School Premises Involving Students
Any school teacher or other school personnel who receives a disclosure from a student, credible witness or personally observes any sexual contact, sexual intercourse or sexual intrusion of a child on school premises, as those terms are defined in West Virginia Code 61-8b-1, et seq., shall immediately report the circumstances or cause a report to be made to the State Police or other law-enforcement agency having jurisdiction to investigate the report. In the event that the individual receiving the disclosure or observing the sexual contact, intercourse, or intrusion has a good faith belief that the reporting of the event to the police would expose either the reporter, the subject child, the reporter's children or other children in the subject child's household to an increased threat of serious bodily injury, the individual may delay making the report while he or she undertakes measures to remove themselves or the affected children from the perceived threat of additional harm. However, the individual must make the report as soon as practicable after the threat of harm has been reduced.
The reporting requirements include reported, disclosed, or observed conduct involving students enrolled in a public or private institution of education or involving a student and school teacher or personnel. When the alleged conduct is between two students or between a student and school teacher or personnel, the parents of the involved students shall also be immediately notified of the allegations.
Emergency Evacuation of Schools
The Board of Education recognizes that its responsibility for the safety of students extends to possible natural and man-made disasters and that such emergencies are best met by preparedness and planning.
The Board authorizes a system of emergency preparedness which shall ensure that:
A. the health and safety of students and staff are safeguarded;
B. the time necessary for instructional purposes is not unduly diverted;
C. minimum disruption to the educational program occurs;
D. students are helped to learn self-reliance and trained to respond sensibly to emergency situations.
All threats to the safety of County facilities shall be identified by appropriate personnel and responded to promptly in accordance with the plan for emergency preparedness.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for the handling of all emergency evacuations.
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