USD 333 Superintendent Talks School Safety, Conducts Exchange with Community Members
USD 333 Concordia invited community members to share their ideas for improving safety for district staff and students at the USD 333 Concordia Community Education Retreat on Wednesday, August 3rd at Concordia Elementary School.
The primary focus of the retreat was on protection and mitigation measures and strategies the school district should consider in their broader school safety enterprise. USD 333 Concordia Superintendent Quentin Breese said the retreat offered a starting place for the district and local community to discuss school safety and security.
K-12 school communities face an evolving and unique set of threats, and school violence remains a persistent problem across the United States.
Superintendent Breese addressed efforts and safety initiatives the district has already made, including controlled access at every building, improved communications systems, and the installation of security technology, such as security cameras, vape sensors, noise detection, and more.
In July, USD 333 Concordia launched a ThoughtExchange as a way to solicit feedback on school safety. ThoughtExchange is an online discussion management platform that gives everyone a chance to present their perspectives and understand what’s most important to the group.
The survey asked what members of the public feel the school district should consider to ensure they provide a safe on-campus environment for their students and staff as they begin the 2022-2023 school year. According to Breese, 227 people disclosed their thoughts with other participants and then rated the thoughts that others had shared with the group.
In the survey, Breese said some of the key thoughts included making mental health a priority and creating an environment where students feel safe expressing their thoughts; ensure that bullying is not allowed and that it is dealt with appropriately and in a timely fashion; return to providing an on-campus school resource officer; and update the district crisis plan and make sure it is routinely reviewed and practiced throughout the district.
USD 333 Concordia Director of Operations and Technology Director Kelly Struebing outlined some of the lessons identified from an active shooter drill conducted last fall while students were out of school. The drill involved teachers, school administrators, and the Cloud County Sheriff's Department to test everything related to internal campus response, police response, reunification, and breakdowns in protocols.
Breese said he wants to keep an open dialogue with the community about school safety.
At the meeting, Breese shared a thought from an anonymous parent that read, "At the end of the day, all I want is when I drop my child off at school in the morning that she returns home safely that night, having had a wonderful day in school learning and growing."