Safety Initiatives at ISD 728
Our Student Survey shows that
90% of our district students surveyed report feeling safe!
At ISD 728, the safety of our students, staff and visitors is among our highest priorities. We work collaboratively to foster a safe, secure learning environment as we deliver on our mission to educate, inspire and empower our diverse learners, to shape their futures, help accomplish their dreams and to contribute positively to our local and global communities.
Emergency response and crisis management protocols and plans are an important component of fostering a safe, secure learning environment. Our protocols and plans are regularly practiced, reviewed and updated by a team of professionals that includes district staff and community first responders. When making decisions about school safety best practices and recommendations from local, state and national safety and security experts are always taken into consideration.
Here is a list of some of the safety initiatives at ISD 728:
ALICE Training
Anonymous Reporting System
Safe Routes to School
Substance Abuse Initiatives (Vaping, Controlled Substances, Alcohol, Tobacco)
School Resource Officers
Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention
Bullying Prevention and Intervention
Safe Schools Committee
Violence Prevention
LGBT and Gender Inclusion
Sex Trafficking Prevention
Nuclear Power Plant Procedures
Evacuation and Family Reunification Procedures
Crisis Management Planning
School Security Systems and Procedures
Threat Assessments
Visitor Management
School Emergency Information
School Emergency Information for Families
Our district takes proactive measures to protect the health and safety of our students, staff and visitors. A variety of programs and procedures are in place which address safety and security, including:
Access to each school building is limited. Doors are locked during the school day with the exception of one main entrance
Visitors to our schools must check in at the office, sign the visitor log and are then issued visitor badges. Staff members watch for visitors to be sure they are wearing their visitor badge and will escort any visitor without a visitor badge to the office to check in
Our district has a crisis plan designed to protect students, staff and visitors in case of an emergency. Each school and district facility has a crisis plan in place that addresses specific steps to be taken at that building in an emergency situation. These plans address a variety of different emergencies and are tested and refined through drills and training exercises.
District schools practice drills to ensure staff and students know what to do in a variety of emergency situations. State law requires each school to practice 5 fire drills, 5 lockdown drills and 1 tornado drill each year
Police Liaison Officers from local law enforcement agencies assist at each school with promoting safety, preventing and investigating delinquent and criminal behavior, enforcing school rules and policies and teaching drug education, bully prevention and traffic safety to students and parents
Safe Schools Committees in Elk River, Rogers and Zimmerman meet throughout the school year to address topics related to fostering a safe and orderly learning environment for all
Social workers, guidance counselors, teachers and school staff are available to talk with students who may be concerned about their own safety in school. Crisis Flight Teams respond to schools following a crisis to provide additional support
In the event of a school emergency, families can get critical information and directions by doing one of the following:
Check for recorded phone messages from ParentLink, the district’s emergency notification system
Check e-mail for instant school news and alerts
Visit the school and/or district website at www.elkriver.k12.mn.us
Tune to local television stations, KARE 11, WCCO, KSTP and Fox 9
In the event of an emergency at your child’s school, it is also important to know the following terms:
Lockdown
A lockdown takes place if an internal or external threat is identified at the school. All school doors are locked and students are contained to classrooms. No entry into or exit (with the exception of an evacuation) from the school will be allowed until an “all-clear” announcement is made. Students will NOT be released during a lockdown.
Secure Mode
Secure mode occurs when there is a threat outside the building or there are circumstances from which people need to be kept away. Access to and from the building is limited. All students and classes will remain inside. The school doors are locked and movement between rooms is controlled. Regular classroom instruction and activities will continue.
Shelter-in-Place
Students take refuge in designated areas to protect them from hazardous materials or severe weather. No entry into or exit from the school will be allowed until an “all-clear” announcement is made. Students will NOT be released during shelter-in-place.
Evacuation
In the event of certain building emergencies, students will be relocated to an evacuation assembly area. Students will be released ONLY to parents/guardians with picture ID and permission from a district official. This procedure is necessary to account for the whereabouts of all students.
When and Why Are Students and Staff Asked to Lockdown, Shelter-in-Place or Evacuate?
A school crisis can take a number of forms including an environmental event, such as a chemical spill or gas leak; a weather emergency, such as a tornado warning; or an intruder in or near the school. The nature of a school crisis dictates whether school officials will put in place a lockdown, secure mode, shelter-in-place, evacuation, or any combination of two of these protocols, as a means to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff.
In Case of a School Emergency:
Although your first reaction would be to call or rush to your child’s school, please follow the tips listed below.
DO tune into local TV/Radio stations or ISD 728 websites for official school news alerts.
DO rely only on official communication from your school or public safety officials; phone calls and/or emails.
DO listen for official information regarding reunification with your child.
DO NOT call or rush to your child’s school. Your presence could interfere with emergency responders.
DO NOT phone your child or school. Staff and students are discouraged from using cell phone communication for safety reasons.
Parent Responsibilities During a School Emergency and Reunification After a School Emergency:
In a school emergency, the first instinct as a parent is to pick up the telephone and start calling the school or rush up to the school and get your child/children. The truth is, this only complicates matters from a safety and security standpoint. Parents too close to an incident often hinder the rescue attempts of police and officials on the scene. The best action parents can take in an emergency is to stay close to their phone and email and to monitor local radio and TV reports for regular updates and instructions.
How Can I Be Reunited with My Child?
Parents/Guardians will be directed by school or public safety officials via phone call or email to their child’s specific location. Students will be released ONLY to parents/ guardians who are documented as emergency contacts and who present a picture ID such as a driver’s license, military ID or passport. The reunification process can be time-consuming so parents are urged to be patient.
How Can You Help?
Ensure that your child’s emergency contact information is accurate and current. The district uses the ParentLink notification system to notify parents of inclement weather and emergencies. Become familiar with your schools’ emergency communication procedures. Each school is committed to providing accurate and timely information in the event of an emergency.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact your student's building principal or Rachel Hilyar, Director of Prevention, Safety and Grants at 763-241-3400 x5003.
The safety of our students, staff and visitors is our top priority. Students, staff and visitors are reminded to report any concerns/suspicious activity to administration and/or law enforcement.
Looking for information on what you can do as a parent/caregiver to prevent bullying, suicide, sex trafficking, or violence?
Click on the resources below for evidence-based, actionable steps you can take that are shared by leaders in the safety and prevention industry.
Bullying Prevention
Report Bullying
Suicide Prevention
Sex Trafficking Prevention
Violence Prevention
Click on the images below for more safety resources for families
Resources for LGBTQ+ Youth
Healthy Teen Dating Relationships
Distracted Driving
Personal Safety Tips
This guide shares online safety tips for teens and parents for protecting hardware and devices from viruses and malware. It also discusses how to be safe on social media and online shopping, how to avoid scams, and how to address online bullying.
Click on the image to the left to learn about the apps that your children are probably using. This guide describes the intended purpose of the app as well as some of the safety concerns related to the app.
SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS
Information and Updates!
In the summer of 2018, Independent School District (ISD) 728 was awarded a Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Safe Routes to School (SRTS) planning assistance grant to hold a planning workshop and create a plan for three schools in the City of Zimmerman: Zimmerman Elementary, Westwood Elementary, and Zimmerman Middle/High School. This plan provides recommendations for all three schools and the only schools) in Zimmerman.
Looking to the future, Zimmerman and ISD 728 share a vision with the State of Minnesota to create safe, accessible, convenient, and affordable multi-modal transportation opportunities for all. The community hopes this plan will enhance the quality of life for all residents of Zimmerman. Throughout the planning process, stakeholders from key organizations came together to create a team of connected individuals committed o safe walking and biking to schools in Zimmerman.
Here are the status updates of some of infrastructure and non-infrastructure project recommendations:
Infrastructure Projects:
Sherburne Co. installed a high visibility crosswalk and signage alerting drivers of crossing at Cty Rd. 4 & 10th St. W. This crossing of Highway 4 near Casey’s General Store came up a number of times as a major barrier to safe and comfortable walking and biking to school. Because Casey’s is a common destination for students after school, this crossing is often used. This addition is aimed to increase visibility, safety and comfort for people crossing Hwy 4.
Sherburne Co. Public Works and the City of Zimmerman received a Transportation Alternative (TA) grant which allowed them to directly support the recommendations of the Safe Routes to School Plan including:
Upgrading a pedestrian crossing at County Road 45 and School Drive
Construction of a pedestrian path at trail just south of Fremont
Construction of a pedestrian path along Zimmerman Elementary School Driveway
ADA compliant upgrades to existing crossings
Sherburne Co. Public Works submitted an additional TA grant application in October of 2020 to be able to support additional infrastructure programs in the Safe Routes to School Plan.
Non-Infrastructure Projects:
Zimmerman Elementary and Westwood Elementary both participated in Walk/Bike to school days in the Fall of 2019 which is a national event that encourages bicycling (or walking to school.
Walking and Bike Route Maps were created to encourage use of safe routes.
ISD 728 designed trail signs for marking the school routes in a neighborhood to the west of Zimmerman Middle/High School and Zimmerman Elementary school. The district is working to fund and produce those signs.
ISD 728 submitted a Safe Routes to School Boost Grant application to the MN DOT in November 2021 which requested funds for a bike fleet, storage trailer, and related safety equipment. The over $30,000 grant was awarded in June 2022! Below are some pictures of our trailer and bikes along with our phy ed staff training in the Walk, Bike, Fun! curriculum that they will use with our elementary students!
🆕 In July 2023, ISD 728 was notified that we were successful in applying for an additional Safe Routes to School Boost Grant by MN DOT to support the purchase of bike racks that will be placed at the schools around the district. The grant total is just over $15,000! Pictures coming soon!
School Bus Safety
If you think about it, there really shouldn’t have to be a week dedicated to school bus safety. After all, children are safer in a school bus than in any other vehicle, despite the fact that school buses in Minnesota make about 10,000 trips a day. And yet, drivers still make poor decisions around school buses, so there’s a week (Oct. 19-23) to remind them of the safe driving behaviors they should engage in all year long.
Part of the issue is that, although children are safe on the bus itself, they need to be safe during the transition on and off the bus. That’s of course why school bus stop arms were invented – and yet, tragically, sometimes they still don’t keep children safe. They can’t unless drivers obey them.
You probably know that if you don’t stop for a school bus when the driver activates the flashing lights and has the stop arm fully extended, you’re breaking the law. But it continues to happen: Over the past five years, law enforcement across the state have written more than 5,700 stop-arm violations. The lightest penalty is a $500 fine, but if you pass a school bus on the right, pass when a child is outside the bus, or injure or kill a child, you face criminal charges.
If you’re wondering how those stop-arm violators were found, remember that many school buses are equipped with video cameras. That way, if a motorist keeps going despite the stop-arm being activated, their vehicle can be identified and the driver can be prosecuted for the violation.
And even though stopping when you see the stop arm go out is pretty common sense, you might want to know some details, such as when and where to stop:
Stop at least 20 feet from the bus, whether you’re behind it or approaching it from the opposite direction.
This is true for two-lane roads and two-lane roads with a turning lane in the middle.
On four-lane roads, always stop when you’re behind the bus. If you’re approaching from the opposite direction, stop unless there’s a median or concrete barrier in the middle.
Remember that it’s the bus driver, not you, who determines whether it’s safe to drive again. So even if you see that the child is safely on the sidewalk, stay put until the bus driver puts the stop arm back in.
So that you’re not taken by surprise, be sure to slow down in neighborhoods and school zones, especially in the morning and mid-afternoon. Always pay careful attention to your surroundings – that means putting distractions away. This video will show you ways to keep from violating stop-arm laws and what happens when people don’t obey them.
If you have school-age kids, it’s important to teach them basic school bus safety. When they’re waiting for the bus, tell kids to stand back from the road and avoid running or other rowdy behavior. When they’re on the bus, they should stay seated, listen to the driver, and use quiet voices. The fewer distractions the driver has, the more safely they can drive.
When kids are exiting the bus, be sure to tell them to look carefully to make sure no cars are passing on the shoulder as they’re getting off the bus. If they have to cross the street in front of the bus, tell them to get where they can see the driver’s face, then wait for them to signal that it’s safe to cross. Kids should look left-right-left before stepping away from the edge of the bus, then continue to watch traffic as they cross.
By observing National School Bus Safety Week all year long, we can work together to make sure that children are just as safe off the school bus as they are when they’re on it.
SAFE DRIVING TIPS
2020 DWI 15 Targeted.pdf