School Safety

Our safety and security procedures include, but are not limited to:

• Each school has an emergency response plan that is reviewed annually.
• Each school utilizes perimeter fencing and locked gates and doors to create a single point of entry.
• All visitors must sign in at the front office before entering campus.
• Each school conducts routine drills that include evacuation, lockout and lockdown.
• Threat vulnerability assessments are performed regularly at each school and District site in collaboration with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center.
• The district has created strong partnerships with local law enforcement agencies.
• School Resource Officers (SROs) are assigned to Connolly, Fees College Prep, Mosley and Shamley. SROs are uniformed police officers from the Tempe Police Department.
• School Safety Officers are assigned at Connolly, Fees College Prep and Mosley middle schools, McKemy Academy and Ward Traditional Academy. School Safety Officers are Tempe Elementary District employees.
• A threat assessment process is in place and utilized when threats are made toward students, employees and schools. Mental health professionals within the district are trained in conducting threat assessments. Depending on the type of threat, law enforcement may be involved as well. 

In the event of an emergency, the District will send messages to parents and guardians via text messaging, phone call and/or email. These messages will contain important information related to the emergency. Updates will be provided as necessary during an emergency. All official information regarding an emergency will be communicated by the district using this method. Please ensure your phone number and email address are always kept up to date with your child's school office.

If an emergency is occurring on campus, DO NOT COME ON CAMPUS. During a critical event, the primary responsibility of school staff, district staff and emergency responders is to keep the campus and its occupants safe. People gathered outside can put themselves at risk and may interfere with the primary duty of student safety and resolving the incident.

In the event students must be relocated from their school, a reunification plan is in place. All students and staff will be relocated to a designated location to be reunited with their families. This process will require an authorized adult to show ID in order for their child to be released. Please ensure that you maintain an updated list of authorized adults to receive your child. Any information regarding reunification will be shared via the district’s emergency communication process.