001Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the board of education and superintendent Bradley. I'm pleased to present a safety update item 11B. The district's safety uh layered safety approach consists of four key pillars. People plans and procedures, investments in infrastructure, code of conduct, and mental health supports. Each of these areas play an essential role in ensuring the safety and security of our schools. This evening, we will focus on the first two pillars, people plans and procedures and investments in infrastructure. As we share updates on where we stand and the steps we are taking to strengthen our safety efforts further, we begin with people, plans, and procedures. People are the foundation of our safety efforts and represent the district's first line of defense against any threatening conduct. We depend on our staff, students, and families to remain
002vigilant and to report concerns quickly and responsibly. Our safety plans are designed to provide quick, clear, and coordinated responses in an emergency. These plans are tailored for various scenarios and help ensure that we can act swiftly and effectively when needed. Finally, our procedures ensure consistent action and emergencies. They are practiced through regular drills, reviewed for compliance, and updated continuously to reflect best practices and lessons learned. Together, these three people plans and procedures form the base of our district safety strategy. We also place a strong focus on regular safety meetings at both the school and district levels. At the school level, these meetings are led by the principal. They bring together assistant principles, the school resource officer, the nurse, and the school safety team. Recent incidents, drills, safety updates, and any sightsp specific concerns are reviewed
003in these meetings. Action items are documented and shared with the district for followup. At the district level, meetings are led by our safety and security and risk management teams. These sessions include representatives from every school along with key district departments. We review district-wide safety data, look at trends, and ensure state and federal requirements compliance. The district meetings also coordinate training and set consistent communication standards across all schools. This two-tiered approach ensures that safety is addressed at the school and district levels. Ensuring school safety uh ensuring school safety is work that cannot be done in isolation. It requires strong collaboration with our local partners, and we are fortunate to have many in Newton County. We work closely with the sheriff's office and local police departments to ensure our schools have the law enforcement presence and response
004support needed to keep students safe. Our school resource officers are a visible part of the school community and a key connection to public safety. We partner with emergency management, fire services, and EMS to prepare and respond to any crisis. From severe weather and fires to medical emergencies, these agencies provide expertise, training, and resources that help us prepare our schools for the unexpected. Our 911 communication centers is a critical link, ensuring that help is quickly dispatched in any emergency and communication between schools and first responders is seamless. We also work with the juvenile court, the Newton County Office of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services and other social service agencies to address student needs beyond the classroom. These partnerships are essential for prevention, intervention, and ensuring that students and families have the support they
005need. Finally, our collaboration extends to the Newton County Public Works, which assist with road safety near schools and infrastructure support that impacts daily operations. Together, these partnerships form a strong network of protection and support. Working with law enforcement, emergency services, the courts, and social agencies creates a safer environment for every at Newton County Schools. In addition to our strong local partnerships, Newton County Schools also works closely with state and federal agencies to strengthen safety. We partner with GEMA, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, which provides training, guidance, and approval of our school safety plans to ensure they align with best practices. We work with the Georgia Department of Education, which supports safety initiatives, student well-being programs, and resources for prevention and response. At the federal level, we receive training from the US Secret Services National Threat
006Assessment Center, which helps to identify and address potential threats before they escalate. These partnerships give us advanced training, updated standards, and strong and a strong network of experts. With local, state, and federal collaboration, we are strengthening a system of protection to keep schools and our children safe. Our district safety plans are comprehensive, jobspecific, and sightsp specific. These plans were collaboratively reviewed and updated during the 2425 school year, and the revised version is now in use. All plans are shared with the Newton County Emergency Management Officials and the Sheriff's Office and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency has approved the plans. This evening, I want to highlight two plan components for parents in the community. Our district has only two types of lockdown, preventative and emergency. The first is preventative lockdown. This is used when there may
007be a potential concern in the area, but no immediate threat inside the school. It allows us to limit access to the building and increase awareness while normal instruction continues inside classrooms. The second is emergency lockdown. This is only used when there is an immediate threat to student or staff safety. In this case, instruction stops, movement is restricted, all doors are secured, and students and staff follow specific emergency protocols until the all clear is given. Families will be contacted when these events occur and again once they are complete. Additional information about specific safety events will be shared when appropriate and allowable. Parents need to remember not to go to or call the school during any lockdown as doing so interferes with emergency response efforts. Required drills include fire, severe weather, and intruder alert drills. These drills
008ensure that students and staff know how to respond quickly and safely in an emergency. I'm pleased to report that all schools completed the fire drills required during the first 10 and 30 days of school. Our safety efforts extend beyond the school building. We also focus on keeping students safe while riding the school bus. Our safety program teaches students essential practices for staying safe in and around the school bus. Key topics included understanding the danger zone around the bus, knowing emergency evacuation procedures, and practicing how to load and unload the bus safely. These lessons help ensure that every student travels to and from school as safely as possible. The next pillar of our safety framework to review is investments and infrastructure. This pillar combines personnel, building design, communication systems, and technology. We've invested in personnel including
009our school resource officers and district emergency response team who provide daily safety support and emergency response. In terms of building design, we've added building access controls, video intercom door systems, and enhanced exterior lighting. In addition, 13 schools have secure entryways. The addition of secure entryways at other schools is included in our district's capital improvement plan and will be completed by December 2029. Our communication systems include clear internal and external protocols. The Epic system and interoperable radios that connect schools and first responders instantly are available. Finally, our technology includes flock cameras for vehicle identification, enhanced security cameras, weapons detection systems, and the safe crisis alert system for immediate emergency communication. Next, I'll provide information uh on several of these components, including school resource officers, the safe crisis alert system, the epic communication system, and weapons detection.
010Our safety infrastructure includes school resource, a school resource, school resource officer at every elementary school. This initiative emphasizes building strong connections with students, supporting early intervention strategies, and ensuring emergency preparedness. This board has led the effort to make this possible, commending an investment of 1.5 million in fiscal year 2025 and an investment of 1.8 million in FY2026. We also partner with the Newton County Sheriff's Office, which provides school resource officers for all of our middle and high schools. This collaboration focuses on campus safety, preventing crime, and ensuring effective emergency respond. It also represents a significant investment, 1.4 4 million in FY2025 and 1.5 million in FY2026. Our infrastructure includes technology such as the SAFE system, a vital alert and notification solution that connects teachers and classrooms directly to school administrators for rapid emergency communication and
011response. This system ensures immediate alerts reach staff and emergency personnel, strengthening safety protocols and enabling quicker action in critical situations. While new legislation will soon require this technology in all Georgia schools, Newton County Schools has had the safe system in place since 2011, reflecting the board's long-standing commitment to student and staff safety. The EPIC system strengthen strengthens our communication and safety framework. It provides instant buildingwide communication, integrates with emergency response protocols, and supports daily announcements and coordination. This dual functionality ensures staff and students receive timely, accurate information, whether for routine updates or during emergencies, helping us keep schools connected, safe, and prepared. The board of education invested 2.1 2.1 million in FY2025 and 2 million in FY26 to support upgrades to the safe system and implementation of the EPIC system in all schools. This system
012has been installed in all but five schools and is it and it is anticipated the installation will complete be completed in those schools by the end of October. Following a pilot that began in March 2025. Next slide. Following a pilot that began in March 2025, the board of education authorized random weapon screenings in middle and high schools for the 2526 school year. The board has approved $416,000 during the two most recent fiscal years to purchase equipment needed. These screenings add an additional layer of protection to our comprehensive safety school efforts. This evening, we've reviewed the district's comprehensive and layered school safety framework built around four key pillars. The first pillar, people plans and procedures, emphasizes the critical role of trained staff, clear protocols, and wellpracticed drills to ensure rapid and coordinated response in any emergency.
013The second pillar, investments in infrastructure, reflects the board's commitment to enhancing safety through significant resources devoted to personnel, secure building design, communication systems, and technology. Together, these first two pillars form the foundation of our safety work. While the remaining pillars, our code of conduct and mental health supports, ensure that expectations for student behavior are clear and that students have access to the support they need. All four pillars create a strong layered approach to keeping our schools safe. Madame Chair, this concludes all that I have prepared, but I will remain for any questions or board discussion.