Student Safety & School Security

• Establish and fund a statewide tip line, allowing students, families and others to report information about potential threats.
  • Oregon Trail School District students, families, and staff use the district’s Speak Up for Safety  incident reporting system to report tips on threats of violence, bullying, peers in crisis, or other  imminent concerns that affect students’ well-being and security.
• Establish and fund a statewide threat assessment system to identify, evaluate and support students who present a potential risk for violence and self-harm.
  • Oregon Trail School District counselors and administrators use a comprehensive threat assessment tool, and processes are in place for responding to threats of violence.
• Fund and develop a statewide school floorplan database to store facility information for Oregon Schools to enhance the readiness of first responders.
  • Local first responders have access to all Oregon Trail School District school floor plans.
• Establish standardized terminology for emergency response and drills for all Oregon schools.
  • Oregon Trail School District staff is trained in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that provides a common approach and terminology across agencies for managing incidents. District Emergency Operations Team members were trained at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, and School Emergency Operations Team members participate in on-going training and exercises.

• Provide access to mental health counseling
  • OTSD counselors and key staff participate in Mental Health First Aid training that provides a basic understanding of mental health issues, and the district has a systematic process to assess threats of harm to self and others. Our School Based Health Center provides primary medical care as well as mental/behavioral health care and/or referrals for K-12 students.
• Support character development and a culture of connectedness
  • The Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support (PBIS) program, implemented in all K-8 schools, promotes a positive, safe school environment by supporting the academic, social, emotional, and behavioral competence of all students. Our middle and high schools build positive school climate through their advisory classes and other engaging school activities.
• Address childhood trauma
  • OTSD staff is trained in Trauma Informed Practices that help them understand and support children and families that have experienced traumatic events
• Employ trained School Resource Officers (SROs)
  • OTSD employs two Sandy Police SRO’s that provide services to all OTSD schools.

The Oregon Trail School District maintains a comprehensive all-hazards Emergency Operations Plan in collaboration with local police and fire agencies. The plan was adopted by the school board in 2011, and Emergency Operations Teams were created at every school.  
Emergency response training is ongoing across the district. Administrators are trained in FEMA’s Incident Command System, and our school Emergency Operations Teams participate in a variety of trainings and exercises. School staff are trained to initiate Run, Hide, Fight protocols in active shooter or other dangerous intruder situations.  

The Sandy Police Department performs periodic vulnerability assessments, through a public safety lens, at all Oregon Trail School District buildings and campuses - resulting in security upgrades that  include: a single point of entry at each school, perimeter fencing, video intercoms for visitor entry to schools, and automated lockdown/alert systems. 
All visitors must enter through their school’s main entrance vestibule and be cleared by staff before entering the school. School building exterior doors remain locked throughout the day.

If it is determined that a potentially dangerous situation is outside/near a school, the school will remain locked, the building will be monitored, and no one will be allowed to enter or exit the building until the situation is resolved. If it is determined that a potentially dangerous situation is inside the building, staff will initiate a trained Run, Hide, Fight response for safeguarding students. 
Depending on the crisis situation, students may be:

• secured within their classroom or another location within the school building,
• secured at an outside location on school grounds, or
• relocated to an off-campus site for reunification with family. 

The Sandy Police Department has trained and prepared school staff to respond to a safety/security threat using Run, Hide, Fight protocols, including techniques for defending against an armed intruder. All students K-12 are instructed by their teachers, in an age-appropriate manner, to follow Run, Hide, Fight protocols. In the event of a threat, any school staff member has the ability to call a lockdown. 

OTSD students in grades 6-12 participate annually in the Say Something initiative. Say Something teaches students how to look for warning signs, signals, and threats—especially in social media—from individuals who may want to hurt themselves or others, and to Say Something to a trusted adult to get them help.  

Say Something Video

Say Something parent information

All Oregon Trail staff and students learn to take action when there is a threat to safety at their school.

Talking with your kids about school safety

Classroom training video, grades K-2

Classroom training video, grades 3-5

Classroom training video, grades 6-12

FEMA/Homeland Security, adult training
All OTSD employees receive Run, Hide, Fight training, facilitated by Sandy Police Department