New Castle School Corporation Safety & Security Initiatives April 2019

The following are examples of safety and security improvements made in the past 18 months:

    1. Established quarterly meetings with School Resource Officers, School Administrators, Teachers’ Association reps. Based on these collaborative meetings, the following areas have been addressed:
      • Assessed and adjusted traffic patterns throughout corporation
      • Conducted threat assessments at each school with Captain Nicholson
      • Captain Nicholson annually reviews crisis response plans (including reunification plans)
      • Initiated “Operation Stop Arm” – bus safety
      • Improved safety measures for field house walkers (see item 5)
      • Reduced number of high school entrances in the morning from 18 to 5
      • Made changes to allow for complete access to schools
    2. Met with bus drivers and Transportation Director to make adjustments to routes, thereby ensuring safest stops and boarding/deboarding practices.3
    3. Added 3 School Resource Officers (SRO). FY 17 our corporation had 2 officers. We now have 5 full time SRO’s with 2 at the High School, 2 at the Middle school, and 1 roving at our elementary schools.
    4. Moved monthly administrator meetings from 9am to 3:30pm, thereby allowing administrators to remain on campus during the school day.
    5. Improved Fieldhouse Walkers security measures. We have a staff member stationed at an entrance where every Walker signs in and signs out each visit.  All Walkers have been cleared through our Raptor system, all Walkers have a New Castle Walker photo ID, and NC lanyard. Our Walkers proudly wear their ID’s every day.  ALL 225 of our Walkers have been cleared. In the winter months, between morning and noon sessions, we average 60-65 Walkers daily.
    6. Added Corporation Safety Coordinator – Warren Cook.
    7. Used eLearning days to train noncertified staff. Training sessions included; cyberbullying, how to respond to allergic reactions, asthma and choking emergencies, identifying and addressing school violence, intruder safety,  suicide prevention, etc.).
    8. Improved Latchkey security (entrance system for parent pick up).
    9. Added Bark cyber monitoring system in elementary schools in May of  2018. We are upgrading and expanding to Gaggle K-12 in 2019/2020.
    10. Purchased Transfinder Transportation Software. Improves accuracy of stops, passenger side pick up/drop off, and route lists.
    11. In 2018, we participated in the Indiana Lead Testing program (participation was optional).
    12. Committed to counselors and social workers serving every school. We have recently partnered with Centerstone and will have a social worker available in all of our schools in the 2019/20 school year.
    13. Improved our call out system to parents and community.
    14. Middle school administrators, staff, and SRO’s conducted educational sessions with students.
    15. State law requires one person per corporation to have an individual trained as a Safety Specialist. New Castle has 8 trained Safety Specialists, and plans to have several more trained.
    16. All NC schools are open to students at 7:00am. Most other corporations open doors at 7:30am or 7:45am.

Planned and Potential Safety Projects and Initiatives

    1. Planned installation of shatter proof laminate on the entrance and select exterior locations of all schools.
    2. Planned funded improvements to traffic flow of middle school.
    3. Planned Secured Entrances at Eastwood, Parker,  Wilbur Wright, and potentially Sunnyside.
    4. Planned addition of several entrance and door upgrades plus lighting improvements at all schools.
    5. Planned implementation of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Neswela curriculum in K-6.
    6. Planned Suicide Prevention Training (QPR).
    7. Potential renovation of middle school including a secured entrance.
    8. Potential through GO Bonds or referendum, to address additional areas of security.

We welcome all feedback related to safety and security and we continue to analyze practices with admin, police, teachers, and parents to incorporate leading safe practices in our schools.