The district is committed to having current safe school plans and procedures in place to maximize safety for all students and staff per RCW 28A.320.125.  A commitment to safety supports teaching and learning.  The district and its schools shall develop comprehensive all-hazard emergency operations plans that address prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Drills
Drills are an essential component of safety planning. Drills teach students and staff basic functional responses to potential threats and hazards. The four functional responses are adaptable and can be applied to a variety of situations. Additionally, some threats or hazards may require the use of more than one basic functional response. Therefore, each school in the district will conduct at least one safety-related drill per month, including summer months when school is in session with students. Drill planning and implementation shall consider and accommodate the needs of all students.

Basic Functional Drills
The basic functional responses include shelter-in-place, lockdowns, evacuations, and earthquakes (drop-cover-hold on):

Shelter-in-Place
Shelter-in-place is designed to limit the exposure of student and staff to hazardous materials, such as chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants that are released into the environment by isolating the inside environment from the outside.  Staff and students will receive instruction so that in the case of a hazardous vapor release that doesn’t allow time to evacuate the campus, they will be able to remain inside, and take the steps necessary to eliminate or minimize the health and safety hazard. 

Lockdowns
A lockdown is meant to isolate students and staff from threats of violence, such as suspicious trespassers, armed intruders, and other threats that may occur in a school.  Staff and students will receive instruction so that in the event of the breach of security of a school building or campus; staff, students and visitors will be able to take precautionary measures. Lockdown drills will not include live simulations of, or reenactments of, active shooter scenarios that are not trauma-informed and age and developmentally appropriate.     

A secure building is a precaution taken to keep staff and students safe indoors when there is a hazard outside the school building. This may include medical emergencies on campus, or an emergency near the vicinity of the school.  Staff and students will receive instruction on how to secure the classroom/campus when outside events or emergencies may impact the normal operations.  

 
Evacuations
Students will receive instruction so that in the event the school or district needs to be evacuated, due to threats such as fires, gas leaks, earthquakes, etc., they will be able to leave the building in the shortest time possible and take the safest route possible to another school or facility.

Earthquakes
The board recognizes the importance of protecting staff, students and facilities in the event of an earthquake. Facilities shall be designed and maintained in a manner that recognizes the potential danger from such an occurrence. Likewise, staff must be prepared to take necessary action to protect students and staff from harm.

“Drop-cover-hold” is the basic functional earthquake response.  The superintendent or designee shall establish procedures should an earthquake occur while school is in session.

The above safety-related drills will incorporate the use of the school mapping information system in at least one of the drills and may also incorporate an earthquake drill using the state-approved earthquake safety technique “drop, cover, and hold.”

The superintendent or designee is directed to develop emergency evacuation procedures for each building.

Additional Drills
In addition to the above four functional response drills the district shall, at a minimum, also develop response plans for the following: 

Bomb Threats
The superintendent or designee shall establish procedures for action in the event that any threat is received toward the school by telephone, letter, orally or by other means.

Emergency School Closure
When weather conditions or other circumstances make it unsafe to operate schools, the superintendent or designee shall determine whether schools should be started late, closed for the day or transportation provided only on emergency routes.  Those decisions will be communicated through community media resources pursuant to a plan developed by the superintendent or designee.

Pandemic/Epidemic
The board recognizes that a pandemic outbreak is a serious threat that could affect students, staff and the community. The superintendent or designee will serve as a liaison between the school district and local health officials. The district liaison, in consultation with local health officials, will ensure that a pandemic/epidemic plan exists in the district and establish procedures to provide for staff and student safety during such an emergency. 
When an emergency within a school or its surrounding area necessitates evacuation and/or total or partial closure of the schools within the district, staff will be responsible for aiding in the safe evacuation of the students within the endangered school or its surrounding area.

The superintendent or designee will establish procedures for the emergency closure of a building or department.

All safety plans and drills shall include protocols for both internal and external communications, as well as procedures for drill documentation. District and school plans shall comply with RCW 28A.320.125 requirements.  Evacuation plans shall also include reunification plans. Schools shall document the dates and time of such drills. Each school will maintain the time and type of drill in the school office.

Cross References:
Board Policy 4310 District Relationships with Law Enforcement and other Government Agencies

Legal References:
RCW 28A.320.125 Safe school plans — Requirements — Duties of school districts, and schools 
RCW 19.27.110 International fire code — Administration and enforcement by counties, other political subdivisions and municipal corporations  

Adopted:  July 16, 2002
Revised:  11.20.2018; 12.13.2022
Revised:  February 18, 2025