School safety: what families need to know

Robbinsdale Area Schools (Rdale) is dedicated to keeping students, staff and visitors safe in our schools and district facilities. How we respond in an emergency is an important component of school safety.

A school emergency could be:

• a building malfunction, such as backed up plumbing or a ventilation issue
• an environmental event, such as a chemical spill or gas leak
• a weather emergency, such as a tornado warning
• a human threat, such as an intruder in or near a school

The nature of the emergency dictates how school officials will respond to ensure student and staff safety.

What plans are in place to help students stay safe?

To maintain safe facilities, the district partners with Raptor, a visitor management system that enhances school security. Raptor helps prevent unwanted visitors from entering our buildings, and tracks those coming and going.

Rdale also uses the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, a violence prevention program offered by Sandy Hook Promise; and Gaggle, which continuously monitors student-issued accounts to identify cyberbullying, substance abuse, explicit images or other harmful activities.

At the district level

Rdale has an Emergency Response Guide that is based on a standardized protocol created by the national I Love You Guys Foundation. This guide ensures sound emergency procedures are in place and trains employees to implement these procedures if needed.

Rdale’s emergency response and recovery plan also follows recommendations from the U.S. Departments of Education and Homeland Security, and is designed to reduce risks and support the safety of students and staff.

At the building level

Emergency drills help prepare our students and staff to respond quickly, calmly and safely in a number of situations.

Exterior doors other than main entrances are locked during the school day. The Raptor visitor management system helps staff monitor visitors, students and staff.

What can families do during a school incident?

Understand we are following proven safety protocols to protect students and staff. District employees will contact you with verified information as soon as possible.

Remain calm and monitor credible information sources during this time. Social media may not always be credible. It’s natural to want to rush to your student. Phone lines, staff and roadways are needed for emergency response. In some situations, families will not be allowed on campus.

Please don’t call or text your student in a crisis situation. The sound or vibration from their device may put students in danger. Those involved in an incident need to focus on instructions from trained staff.

Follow the reunification procedures you will receive. As soon as it is safe to do so, students and staff will evacuate to a secure location to begin the reunification process.

Student/Parent Reunification

Circumstances may occur that require parents to pick up their students in a formalized, controlled manner. This process is called Reunification, and may be necessary due to weather, a power outage, hazardous materials, or if an incident occurs at school. The Standard Reunification Method is a protocol that makes this process more predictable and less chaotic for all involved. Because it is not a typical end of school day event, a reunification may occur at a location that is different from the school a student attends. If this location is another school, then those students may be subject to a controlled release as well.

Stay in the know

Families can opt in to receive district notifications via text and automated phone calls. Learn more at rdale.org/discover/technology

Learn more about safety and security at rdale.org/discover/safety-and-emergency-preparedness