Safety & Security

This document helps explain how people should be prepared in the situation of an active shooter.

While there are many positions on this issue, the district’s position is that (excepting police authorities) schools should be weapon free zones. Our administrators have received training in the proper way to handle individuals choosing to open carry in our district.

The Board of Education passed a resolution at its February 15, 2018, board meeting opposing proposed Michigan legislation that would allow concealed carry of weapons in schools.

Staff and students are trained to observe what is happening around them and make a decision about the best course of action. For some students in some locations, the best answer may be to hide in a closed and locked location. For others, evacuation may be a better solution. In either case, drills occur during various times of day so students do not develop a pattern or one particular preference.

Just as airports, amusement parks, and other public locations don't publish their entire plan, we reserve some of our emergency processes for internal use only. This protects the integrity of our system and ensures that the "bad guys" can't make their plans based upon ours. Some of our equipment, protocols, etc. have components that are kept confidential to ensure they remain important components of our overall safety/security practices.

This is a great question! In times like these, we often feel helpless, but there's actually a lot you can do!

• Contact your legislators to let them know that this needs to be a top priority in their discussions in Lansing and Washington. To find your representative, visit www.house.mi.gov and enter your house address. To find your senator, visit www.senate.michigan.gov and enter your house address. Governor Snyder's information can be found on his website www.michigan.go/snyder.
• Continue to report issues of concern to our staff or via OK2SAY. To report a concern, please call 1-855-565-2729, text 652729, email ok2say@mi.gov, or visit their website www.mi.gov/ok2say.
• Do not hold the door open for the person behind you. It may feel rude, but it's the right thing to do for the safety of our students and staff.
• Help reassure your child of their safety in our schools. School is still statistically the safest place for children to be. Remind them that we care about them and we are committed to keeping them safe.

A sinking fund is a savings account into which a local school district can deposit voter-approved local millage revenue in order to pay cash for the most urgent building projects or repairs as they arise. Sinking funds provide districts with a cost-effective alternative to borrowing or bonding for some expenditures because they require none of the associated legal fees or incurred interest.

It used to be that funds generated through a sinking fund can only be used for renovation, repair, and construction of buildings, but recent legislation has allowed for expanded use. This expanded use now covers some expenses related to safety, security, and technology. Sinking fund dollars cannot be used for any operating expenses such as salaries, benefits, or routine maintenance. In addition, the money cannot be used for textbooks or bus replacement.

With the expansion of use to include safety, security, and technology, the district may seek to:

Install more security cameras inside and outside of each school:

Security cameras offer mostly forensic evidence, but they can also be a deterrent. In addition, they can serve as a valuable resource for responding officers if they are able to tap into a live feed of the building to see inside. With the Sinking Fund dollars, we may be able to install security cameras that would give police a window into the ongoing activity, shortening the time between response and results.
 

Install BluePoint Emergency Alert System in every school:

The BluePoint system provides pull stations (similar to fire alarm pulls) that anyone in the building can utilize to call a Lockdown. Once pulled, police are immediately notified, building occupants are notified via flashing strobe lights and an audio sound, and text/email/voice alerts are sent to district staff who can begin to respond to the crisis. In addition, the system can be tied to specific doors, closing off sections of the school building and preventing an intruder from quickly moving throughout the school. To learn more, visit: www.bluepointalert.com/police-alert
 

Install security cameras on each school bus:

School bus camera systems are helpful in instances of bullying or unsafe behavior. The driver's main responsibility on the bus is to safely transport the students to and from school. Security cameras can offer an additional set of eyes without requiring additional staff onboard.
 

Provide a GPS bus tracking app for families to know the whereabouts of their child's bus and the approximate time of arrival:

In some cases, students may wait for a bus in the morning for longer than expected. In very cold temperatures or dark conditions, this may create a problematic situation. With a GPS app, students would be able to track the bus and head outside just prior to its arrival.
 

Install bullet-proof glass or glass film:

Glass doors and windows provide lines of sight that are critical for positive relationships and security visibility. That said, they may make the building more vulnerable in an active shooter situation. Strategic placement of film can deter unwanted individuals for up to two minutes, which is the approximate response time of Bloomfield Township Police. In addition, those critical two minutes would give occupants time to fully enact a Lockdown.
 

Place bollards outside of main school entrances:

A bollard is a fixed post or object that presents a clear, visible barrier for off-limit or sensitive areas. They are often designed to withstand high-impact vehicle collisions and are ideal for schools with vulnerable populations. The most common bollards are metal, stone, cement, or plastic. In the event of a collision near the school, a bollard may prevent a wayward vehicle from accidentally hitting a pedestrian.

 

To learn more, visit: www.bloomfield.org/sinkingfund

We believe Restorative Practices supports a culture of trust and respect. We believe Restorative Practices help students and staff feel a sense of belonging. And we believe when we feel a sense of belonging, we are safer. 

Restorative Practices are designed to be 80% proactive and 20% reactive. As a district, we have worked on the reactive pieces, ensuring our disciplinary measures align with the culture we want to maintain in our schools. We continue to grow in our use of the proactive pieces of Restorative Practices: conducting circles in our classrooms, using affective language (being able to openly express the way something made someone feel in a way that the other person can hear and respond to), and asking questions or inquiring in a way that allows students ownership and voice.

When students have ownership and voice, they are more likely to trust their adults and peers and co-create environments of sharing and caring. “While the Whole Child indicators for safe schools include ensuring that buildings and grounds are secure and meet safety standards, they also highlight the importance of students’ emotional safety, developmental well-being, and sense of belonging and self-worth,” says Anthony Rebora in a recent article in Educational Leadership. “[There is an] urgent need to ensure students are physically safe in schools (particularly in light of recent events and ongoing legislative inaction), but [to also] also look at students' broader security needs. Indeed...attending to students’ emotional and developmental needs is what creates truly safe places for teaching and learning.”

While we’ve come so far in this work, we still have so much farther to go and we recognize our physical spaces are limiting in our efforts. The schools that were built in the 1950’s and 1960’s were not constructed with Restorative Practices in mind. “In the aftermath of school shootings, shoring up the physical safety of schools makes sense - as does consistent enforcement of disciplinary codes yet studies suggest the most effective approaches to school safety also address students’ emotional and psychological safety,” says Bryan Goodwin, president and CEO of McREL International. “Creating school environments where students feel emotionally safe and valued as individuals not only helps with mental health issues and preventing violence and bullying, but also supports better student achievement.”

Why circles?

• Equality - everyone is equal - they have equal seating and can fully see one another without barriers (such as tables or other furniture)

• Safety & trust - nothing is hidden in a circle and the equal feeling of vulnerability lends to open dialogue

• Responsibility - everyone has a chance to play a role in the outcome

• Leadership - the facilitator leads the circle rather than lectures in the circle

• Ownership - collectively, the participants feel the circle is theirs

• Connections - connections are built as participants take turns talking and listening (there are a remarkable number of students who make it through a whole day of school without talking and we believe this should change)

When teachers facilitate Restorative Practices in environments not originally constructed to support this work, they encounter challenges. Usually, participants will sit either in chairs in a circle, sit on the floor in a circle, or stand. With some individuals facing physical limitations, it’s best for the group to sit comfortably in chairs (as some individuals would find it difficult to be seated on the floor or stand). In order for the physical environment to support the configuration of a circle, students and teachers must rearrange furniture (something that is sometimes impossible if the furniture is fixed in its location or too bulky to move). 

This proposal would provide flexible spaces and furniture, enabling teachers to more frequently facilitate circles and other elements of Restorative Practices. Ideally, this work isn’t something we add to the school day, but rather it is embedded in the school day, every day.