Campus Safety » Safety & Security Services

Safety & Security Services

 

SAFE AND SECURE SCHOOLS PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES

 

STAFFING

  • The district employs campus security officers who work at the Mesquite Campuses to assist with traffic direction and control at designated campuses based on need. Their presence is also a deterrent to unwanted visitors.
  • Criminal history background checks are conducted on all applicants prior to employment as well as all volunteers. All contractors who work on district property must also undergo a comprehensive criminal history check before accessing campuses.

TRAINING

  • District and Campus Administrators, counselors, nurses, teachers/staff, and campus security officers undergo safety and security training including but not limited to emergency standard response protocols and emergency evacuation procedures.
  • LPCA has an extensive Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that provides general guidance for emergency management activities.
  • All LPCA campuses must conduct state and district mandated emergency drills within first 10 days of school and one monthly thereafter. Mandated lockdown, lockout and shelter in place drills are held to prepare for severe weather, hazardous materials, and medical emergencies.
  • The LPCA District Safety Committee is comprised of a broad representation of the district from campus administrators of all levels, representatives from the various district leadership and support groups, as well as representatives of the operations leadership group. The City of Mesquite and Plano emergency first responders are also represented. The committee meets regularly to discuss district-wide safety and security issues and make recommendations to the Superintendent’s cabinet for consideration of any improvements or new initiatives.

MONITORING and ACCESS

  • Exterior entry doors on campuses and support facilities are equipped with an electronic access control system. All doors can be locked or unlocked with proxy cards issued to police officers, providing law enforcement first responders immediate access to any campus in an emergency.
  • All campuses are equipped with intrusion alarm systems.
  • LPCA campuses are equipped with a video intercom system. Visitors are pre-screened prior to being granted access to security vestibule for further screening.
  • All campuses are equipped with security vestibules to further limit access into schools.
  • Each elementary school has perimeter fencing on certain child play areas restricting access during school hours.
  • Every LPCA campus currently utilizes the Hall Pass Visitor Management System. All visitors who enter a campus must have their identification scanned into the system which conducts a sex offender registry check on the individual visitor.
  • All LPCA staff are required to wear their district issued ID badges while on district property.
  • All LPCA scholars are now required to wear their LPCA school uniform with the school logo while on campus or while at any sanctioned district events on district property.

 RESOURCES

  • LPCA currently contracts the service of specialized detection canine services to conduct unscheduled drug and weapon sweeps at secondary campuses on a regular basis.
  • All campus and district administrators can monitor current weather conditions and receive location-based real time push notifications of severe weather and lightning detection within pre-determined areas.

 

Emergency Guide for Parents

The Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy School District is committed to providing a safe environment for scholars, staff, and visitors. We work closely with safety officials – police, fire, emergency medical services, and public health – to ensure our schools are well prepared for an emergency. We have developed a comprehensive plan that covers a wide variety of emergencies that serves as a guide to help staff and our public safety partners respond swiftly should a crisis occur in our schools.

Should a school emergency occur, a parent can get essential information and directions by using the LPCA website (www.legacypreparatory.com), Facebook, and School Messenger.

 

School Messenger, LPCA website, and Facebook

LPCA uses, the LPCA website, and Facebook as part of its ongoing effort to enhance student/staff safety, security, and communications. School Messenger will be used to contact parents via email in a variety of situations ranging from severe weather and power outages to other emergencies that may cause a school to evacuate, relocate, or lockdown. The School Messenger Service, local news channels (LPCA cannot guarantee that the news station will publish the information), LPCA website, the official LPCA Facebook account will be used to inform parents when schools are closed or opening late due to inclement weather. Individual schools may also use the School Messenger tool to communicate essential information to their school community.

Every parent who has a child attending LPCA schools can receive messages through School Messenger. However, it is up to you to update any changes regarding email, phone numbers, or additional emergency contacts within the Skyward Family Access system. For the School Messenger Service to be effective, Legacy Preparatory Charter Academy must have accurate contact information for all parents or guardians within Skyward. Without current contact information, the School Messenger Service will not be able to make the necessary contacts in the event of an emergency.

 

WHAT PARENTS SHOULD DO TO PREPARE FOR A SCHOOL EMERGENCY

  • Provide accurate emergency contact information to your child’s school and notify the school if your emergency contact information changes. Accurately identifying who is authorized to pick up your child if there is a school or community emergency is essential to your school’s emergency response.

 

  • Never open any door to your school campus for someone outside the school to enter the building, even if that person is known to you (including a teacher). Access to our schools is strictly enforced, and those who do not have access to the building must go through to the front entrance and follow visitor management or access procedures.
       
  • Speak with your child about potential emergency situations at school. Emphasize the importance of listening and following directions during all emergency drills, including fire, evacuation, secure, and lockdown drills. Also, encourage your child to report strange, suspicious, or unusual activity to a teacher, administrator, LPCA staff member, or Security Officer.

 

WHAT TO DO DURING A SCHOOL EMERGENCY

  • If there is an emergency at one of the LPCA schools, wait for official instructions that will be communicated using the LPCA website (www.legacypreparatory.com), Facebook, and School Messenger. The message will inform you of what has happened and what you should do (if anything).
  • Do not call the school. Phone lines and staff are needed for emergency response efforts.
  • Do not go to the school unless instructed to do so. During emergency situations, school parking lots may be designated evacuation locations, or they may be within the emergency area and unsafe for anyone except first responders. Additionally, roads clogged by traffic may prevent emergency vehicles from getting to an emergency.
  • Students will be kept in school, at a neighboring school, or other shelter until the end of the school day if possible. If you are asked to pick up your child, the reunification site, and the time when you can meet your child will be announced by school officials using the LPCA website and School Messenger, and Facebook.
  • When you go to the reunification site, bring a picture I.D. (e.g., driver’s license, passport, etc.) and check in with school officials.
  • Students will be released to parents or guardians who have acceptable identification and who are named on the student emergency information card.
  • If a legal guardian cannot pick up a child, the child will remain at the reunification site.

 

SAFETY TERMS AND PROCEDURES

In the event of an emergency at your child’s school, it is important to know these terms.

 

HOLD – The HOLD command is called to clear hallways, even during class changes. The public announcement for HOLD is: “Hold in your room or area. Clear the Halls.” The HOLD command may occur to allow emergency medical services and first responders a clear path while responding to a medical emergency and to prevent students and staff from unnecessary exposure to the incident. 

 

SECURE – The SECURE command is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the school building. The public announcement for SECURE is “Secure! Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors. No One In – No One Out.” The SECURE command may occur during violence, criminal activity in the immediate neighborhood, or a dangerous animal in the playground. The SECURE command uses the security of the physical facility as protection. 

 

LOCKDOWN – The LOCKDOWN command is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building. The public announcement for LOCKDOWN is: “Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out of Sight!”  The LOCKDOWN announcement may be made in the event of a parental custody dispute, school intruder, or active shooter situation. A LOCKDOWN uses classroom security to protect students and staff from threats.

 

EVACUATION – The EVACUATE command is called when students need to be moved from one location to another. The Evacuate protocols demand students and staff move in an orderly fashion to a pre-determined evacuation assembly point. Fire drills are considered evacuation drills. The public announcement for evacuation is: “Evacuate! To a Location.” For instance, “Evacuate! To the Flagpole. Evacuate! To the Flagpole." Students will remain at the evacuation location until the “All Clear” command is given by Administrators or Security.

 

SHELTER – The SHELTER command is called when the need for personal protection is necessary. Training should also include spontaneous events such as tornadoes, earthquakes, or hazmat. The public announcement for shelter should include the hazard and the safety strategy. The public addresses are 1. Shelter for Severe Weather! Drop, Cover and Hold (If time permits move to pre-determined shelter locations) and 2. Shelter for Hazmat. Students and staff are held in the building, windows and doors are closed and all ventilation systems are shut off. Limited movement is allowed. Shelter-in-place is most effective during emergencies involving hazardous materials which produce toxic vapors outside of the facility. 

 

 

HOW CAN I BE REUNITED WITH MY CHILD?


REUNIFICATION – Parents/Guardians will be directed by school or public safety officials via the website and Blackboard, Twitter and/or Facebook to their child’s specific location. Students will be released ONLY to parents/guardians who are documented as emergency contacts and who present a picture ID such as a driver’s license, military ID, or passport. The reunification process can be time-consuming, so parents are urged to be patient.

 

 FOLLOWING AN EMERGENCY:

  • Listen to and acknowledge your child’s concerns.
  • Provide reassurance that your child is safe.
  • Assure your child that additional prevention efforts are being put into place.
  • Seek help from school personnel or a mental health professional if concerns persist.

 

 

Helpful Links for Parents

  • Click Here for Parent’s Guide to School Safety Toolkit
  • Click Here for Parent’s Guide to Cyber Safety and Digital Responsibility