1. All School Safety Officers complete a four-week comprehensive security training program before starting work and must follow up with 24 hours of staff development training each year.
2. All School District employees must have photo ID cards at all times. School doors are kept locked during instructional hours. Visitors to all schools must register with the front office.
3. School District Safety Officers work closely with school principals to track misconduct and respond to trends. Upon request, officers will conduct unannounced student screenings using mobile metal detectors or increase the number of officers assigned to a specific school. The officers also work with external law enforcement agencies including the Philadelphia Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Yes, the Board of Education  policy 218 has an approved Code of Student Conduct which applies to all students while they are traveling to and from school and any school-related event in addition to regular school hours. A copy of the document is available in hard copy from your school’s principal.

The code of conduct includes information about behavioral expectations, attendance and truancy, and definitions of disruptive behaviors.

In case of emergency, call the School District’s safety hotline: 215-400-SAFE (215-400-7233). In non-emergencies, the Office of School Safety can be reached at 215-400-4710.

In case of emergency, administrators determine appropriate actions by identifying the type of crisis — severe weather, outside threat, etc. — and then following the predetermined Universal Emergency Response Procedures.

Universal Emergency Response Procedures are standard directives implemented in case of emergency. The four standardized procedures are:

• Evacuation
• Reverse Evacuation
• Lockdown
• Shelter in Place

Evacuation from a building is necessary during an internal emergency like a fire or gas leak. When an evacuation alarm is sounded, students and staff immediately exit the building and gather at pre-determined rally points. Regular drills throughout the school year ensure students and staff know where to go.

A Reverse Evacuation is called when conditions inside the school are safer than conditions outside, like if a tornado suddenly forms or an armed aggressor is approaching. Students and staff who are outside when a reverse evacuation is called immediately comes inside.

A Lockdown is used when a situation exists inside or outside the school that threatens the safety of staff and students. There are three (3) ways to secure the building:

• Hold – used when there is an emergency in or around the building i.e., group/major fight, medical emergency, student abduction
• Secure – used when there is danger outside of the building or in the surrounding community, i.e. bomb threat, police searching for a criminal suspect in the area
• Lockdown – used when there is a direct threat to the school, i.e. active shooter, armed intruder

The Shelter-in-Place protocol is necessary when an external threat — including extreme weather or an armed aggressor — threatens students and staff and the safest place for all is inside the building. When a Shelter-in-Place announcement is made, students and staff clear the hallways, reporting to the nearest classroom or shelter area, and remain there until a school official gives the all-clear call.

Parents and Guardians should realize the safety of your children and our staff is a top priority. When an emergency occurs, we ask that parents do not go to their children’s schools. Important information will be provided to parents via the School District website and local TV and radio reports. Depending on the type of incident, school officials will also attempt to contact parents and guardians.

Even parents and guardians will be asked to present valid state identification — a driver’s license, for example — before their children will be released during an emergency. If a parent or guardian is not available, an adult listed on the student’s emergency contact form can retrieve the child with proper identification. Parents and guardians should be sure to update each student’s Emergency Contact Card.