School Safety

Standard Response Protocol (SRP)

Safety remains the foremost priority for both Summit and BVSD. Each team member serves as a safety ambassador, engaging in risk management through regular drills and continuous reviews of policies and procedures. The training emphasized the guiding principles of school safety and security, grounded in BVSD Board Policies, national standards, and industry best practices. A key component of our approach includes the continual review of after-action reports from incidents across the country. These lessons learned inform the ongoing evaluation and refinement of our own practices and policies.

Summit’s Safety Plans are a prevention-oriented strategy designed to enhance individual and collective safety and well-being. Throughout the year, staff engage in professional development to maintain the highest integrity standards. During the academic year, students receive instruction and participate in various safety drills.

Hold

In Your Room or Area, Clear the Halls

During a HOLD, hallways need to be cleared so personnel can handle a situation that does not pose a threat to students or staff, like a medical situation or an altercation.

Teachers should pull students from hallways into classrooms and take attendance. Close and lock classroom door. Learning and other activities continue, as normal.

Remain in the classroom until the “All Clear” is announced

Students are trained to:

Clear the hallways and remain in your room until the “All Clear” is announced
Do business as usual

Adults and Staff are trained to:

Close and lock the door
Account for students and adults
Do business as usual

Secure

Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors.

During a Secure situation, the danger is considered to be outside of the building. School personnel ensure all perimeter doors are locked and bring any students involved in outside activities indoors. Learning and other activities continue, as normal.

Students are trained to:

Return to inside of building
Do business as usual

Adults and Staff are trained to:

Bring everyone indoors
Lock outside doors
Increase situational awareness
Account for students and adults
Do business as usual

Lockdown

Locks, Lights, Out of Sight

During a Lockdown, the danger may be inside the building. Learning community and individual classroom doors are secured, lights are turned off and students are kept quiet and in place indoors.

Students are trained to:

Move away from sight
Maintain silence
Do not open the door

Adults and Staff are trained to:

Recover students from hallway, if possible
Lock classroom door
Turn out the lights
Move away from sight
Maintain silence
Do not open the door
Prepare to evade or defend

Evacuate

Evacuation

Follow the Directions

During an evacuation, students are moved away from possible danger, in a quick, orderly process

Students are trained to:

Leave stuff behind
If possible, bring your phone
Follow instructions

Adults and Staff are trained to:

Lead students to Evacuation location
• Account for students and adults
• Notify if missing, extra or injured students or adults

Shelter

Shelter in Place

Follow the Directions

When a school is sheltering in place, students and staff take actions to protect themselves from a potential danger (tornado, hazardous material, wildland fire, etc.).

HAZARD TYPE AND RESPONSE

Tornado: Evacuate to shelter area
Earthquake: Drop, cover and hold
Hazmat: Seal the room

Students are trained in:

Use appropriate safety strategy for the hazard

Adults and Staff are trained in:

Lead safety strategy
Account for students and adults
Notify if missing, extra or injured students or adults

Threat Assessment Protocol

BVSD applies discretion in our decision making for threat assessments. Our threat assessment/threat screening guidance for schools includes considerations such as when a student makes a threat to kill or seriously harm or to inflict violence, and/or when there are significant warning signs of potential violence, and/or when a student knowingly possesses a weapon at school. Of course, we also consider other variables in our decision making (discretion) including the student's age, capacity, potential services, academic history, the need to investigate for more information concerning a threat or behavior, etc. Important to note is the delineation between a threat assessment and threat screening. Neither of which are punitive, and both are simply structured professional judgment tools. Our threat screening tool is the first step in BVSD's threat assessment process. Our direction to schools for engaging a threat screener is to utilize the screening tool when a student creates a threat of physical harm including conduct involving weapons. Essentially, building administrators should complete a threat screener anytime a student makes a threat, or displays threatening behavior. Also worth noting, the overwhelming majority of completed threat screeners simply engages a student support plan providing wraparound services and positive engagement to to help the student be successful. However, occasionally threat assessments are needed to ensure the safety of our school communities and the success of our students.

BVSD Board Policy JDC

Safety Threat in Vicinity of Summit

When we receive information about a potential threat in the community through BOCO Alert, Boulder Police, or BVSD Security, our administration team coordinates with BVSD Security to immediately understand the nature of the threat, determine its proximity to Summit, and evaluate its potential impact on our students and school operations. BVSD Security communicates with local first responding agencies to gather as much information to understand the full scope of the situation. Based on the information shared with Summit administration, we are able to make informed decisions about safety measures, which may include securing the school building, adjusting dismissal procedures, or limiting student movement around campus.

When actions are taken, we notify parents and will provide updates that include what we know about the situation and the steps we are taking to protect students. These steps may include any of the Standard Response Protocol (SRP).

Our ultimate goal is to create and maintain a safe environment for students while keeping parents informed and involved. We take every situation seriously and act with the utmost care to ensure the safety and well-being of our entire school community.

Student Parking Safety

At Summit, it is important for students to use crosswalks when walking or biking, as there is no supervision provided at Tantra or any adjacent crosswalks. During drop-off in the parking lot, parents should pull as far forward as possible, as the drop-off lane is meant to keep cars moving. The speed limit in the parking lot is 5 mph at all times, and students should never be dropped off in parking spaces or between lanes; if a drop-off occurs in a parking space, parents must walk with their student to the curb. For afternoon pick-up, students are not allowed to cut through the parking lot and must walk around its edge to reach the drop-off/pick-up lane. Parents can meet their students at the curb and walk together to the car.

What families should do in school emergencies

The natural instinct for parents or guardians is to come to the school during an emergency to protect their children. However, by doing so, they may endanger themselves and their children. Law enforcement and school personnel are busy responding to the situation. Your arrival or calls may distract them from their work. Please help by following the steps below.

Stay Home

The most important contribution you can make to your student and your own safety may be staying away from the school.

Stay Informed

Information will be shared with families as soon as possible. Please know, in some situations, accurate information may take some time to verify and share.

Be Ready

Be prepared to follow instructions from the Boulder Valley School District.

A Parent's Guide to Crisis Communication in BVSD

Elementary School

Middle School

High School

Nontraditional School

Charter School

School Safety

Hold

Hold

In Your Room or Area, Clear the Halls

Secure

Secure

Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors.

Lockdown

Lockdown

Locks, Lights, Out of Sight

Evacuate

Evacuation

Follow the Directions

Shelter

Shelter in Place

Follow the Directions

Threat Assessment Protocol

BVSD Board Policy JDC

Safety Threat in Vicinity of Summit

Student Parking Safety

What families should do in school emergencies

BVSD and Community Resources