+ Single Point Entry Safety Issue Allie Hughes EAD-505 June 3, 2015

+ Current Situation: Westergard Elementary is located in Northwest Reno. The school has a fence that surrounds most of the perimeters of the school. There is an opening in the fence near the first grade hall and in the front of the school where there is a walkway to the playground areas. Most of the doors that face outward are hallway doors near these areas where the fence is opened. There is no way to get inside the hallway doors unless it is a staff member who has keys and the doors are locked from the outside at all times of the day. The school has a single point entrance at the front of the school where there are surveillance cameras. When a parent volunteer or another visitor of the school enters the single point entry they have to check in with the office. Once the office clears the individual they are beeped in by a security button that personnel in the office uses. The individual has to wear a school volunteer badge to identify that they have checked into the office. This system works great with Westergard’s school volunteers and district visitors.

+ The Problem: There is no single point entry for the four classroom mobiles at Westergard Elementary. Parents and visitors are not checking in at the office. Class disruptions from unknown visitors have occured. Teacher and student safety is being put at risk. School does not know who is on school grounds without check in at the office first. Anyone has access to the mobile entrances. School surveillance cameras may not catch all individuals approaching the school because of distance on the camera.

+ Major Players: School Police Mobile teachers Mobile classroom students School Personnel Front office secretaries and Administrator

+ Possible Solutions: Adding surveillance cameras outside of the mobile classrooms. Adding more fencing around the school to close off the entryways to the mobile classrooms. Double entry system that can be used with the mobile classrooms. Adding a visitor parking lot. Adding security buttons. Video intercoms for visitor screening.

+ Meeting Student Needs Westergard elementary is required to create and implement a safe learning environment for all students at the school according to policy 9031 in the WCSD policy manual (Board Policy 9031, Safe and Respectful Learning Environment, 2014). Another policy that is crucial to meeting students’ needs at the school would be policy 1410, emergency planning/ management. It is important that once the school were to choose a solution that the school trained all staff on using the piece of technology or that the staff was trained in new protocol and guidelines (Board Policy 1410, Emergency Planning and Management, 1997). Having guidelines implemented, a school safety plan, and the staff trained with safety procedures at the school will help meet students’ needs by keeping the school safe and up to date in safety issues and protocol.

+ References Board Policy. (n.d.). Retrieved May 1, 2015, from Council of Chief State School Officers (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC Retrieved From. Kersey, L. (2013, June 11). U.S. Attorney unveils safe schools recommendations. Charleston Gazette, The (WV). Stader, David L. Law and Ethics in Educational Leadership. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, Print. 11 Components of a Secure School Front Entrance. (2013, October 23). Retrieved from secure-school-front-entrance.secure-