Safety

Keeping the ZCSD Safe

How does the ZCSD protect its students and staff each day?

ZCSD Safety Measures in Place Around the District:

When it comes to the safety of our students and staff, our district believes in being proactive and preventative, having many safety features in place to protect our campuses both during the school day and during travel away from campuses as well.

Our most important job is to return your child safely home to you each day.  There is nothing that takes precedence over that.

  • In a partnership with the Zachary Police Department, Student Resource Officers (SRO) and extra-duty police officers are on duty for the entire school day and extracurricular activities.
  • Campuses are under 24/7 camera surveillance.

Physical Security Features:

  • Controlled-access entries at school buildings.
  • Anti-intrusion safety film is utilized on school buildings.
  • Doors and locks are inspected often and were recently upgraded.
  • Panic buttons on principals’ person and in other areas of campus.
  • Perimeter fencing and gating in many areas.
  • Evolv Weapon Detection System (used at large events and any place deemed necessary)
  • ZeroEyes Weapon Detection System active on every ZCSD campus (utilizes campus cameras)
  • The Raptor Visitor Management System is used on all campuses. (All campus/field trip visitors must be screened through this system’s database.)

Safety audits are conducted with school and district partners.
Examples:
-SRO assessments
-District Assessments (LARMA, Louisiana Public Schools Risk Management Agency)

  • School and district-level safety plans in Navigate 360 System/Portal
  • Staff receives safety training and students and staff complete state-required safety drills (lockdown drills, transition drills, and fire drills)
  • Promoted use of Safe Schools Louisiana Anonymous Reporting App
  • Gaggle filters and alerts provide constant school network monitoring by our Technology Department
  • The “See something, say something” principle is taught and encouraged.

How does the ZCSD handle threats made to our schools/district?

Unfortunately, we live in a time where threats of all types are being received by public and private schools across the nation.  We want to assure you that no matter how many unsubstantiated threats our district and others receive, we will never take them lightly and will always continue working alongside local and state law enforcement to investigate their credibility and make decisions regarding the safety of our staff and students.

“Social media-based and other types of anonymous threats of violence against K-12 institutions are common. According to FBI data, schools were the target of more than 6,000 threats in 2022, most of which were anonymous and posted to social media. These threats can erode trust that schools are safe places, contribute to losses in learning and instruction time, overwhelm school and law enforcement resources, and have lasting psychological impacts on school communities.” (CISA, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)

When our district and others receive a threat, it is most often deemed not credible.  Many districts notice the same threats at the same time, and once computer forensics or the origin of the threat has been investigated, we, along with state and local law enforcement can deduce that it is not a credible threat.

At times these vague threats arrive late at night.  Our team and law enforcement immediately begin investigating and we will not send out a message unless there is truly a credible threat and concern for our staff and students’ presence on campus.  Sending out messages about non-credible threats could potentially create unnecessary alarm and cause less vigilance in our community when real threats are received.

Guidance recently received from the FBI reminds us that excessive actions such as constant messaging, police presence, lockdowns, and school closures for each unsubstantiated threat can cause trauma for students and staff, parents, and the community. Mitigating or limiting crisis/trauma response when unwarranted, may help to alleviate that without letting our guard down.

Please remember that many of our district leaders and law enforcement team members who make these decisions also have children of their own and family members in our schools. We will never take chances with our students and staff and will take every precaution necessary to ensure decisions reflect the current best practices for each incident.

How can parents/guardians, students, and the community help?

We encourage parents/guardians to speak seriously with their students about these crimes.  It is also important that students and adults do not share these threats on social media and rather only send them to district administrators, law enforcement, or the Safe Schools tip line (linked on this page).

Sharing threats on social media may cause undue alarm and allow already non-credible posts to be recirculated. Students who have made threats on social media and on campuses both regionally and nationally have recently been arrested for felonies.  This is a serious matter that affects entire communities.  Computer forensics are quite accurate in finding the source of posts, calls, texts, etc.  Please continue to encourage the “see something, say something” principle with your students and within the community.

How will the ZCSD communicate important information/ school closure/ lockdown/etc.?

If a threat is credible, we will immediately notify parents and staff via a JCampus message and social media post to give instructions.

The ZCSD will communicate an official school closure to families and staff using:

*All serve as official notifications from the ZCSD.

Thank you for all you do to assist us in doing our most important job each day!

Helpful links:

Safe Schools Louisiana Crimestoppers
https://www.safeschoolsla.com/sitemenu.aspx?P=custom&D=2&ID=5010

Online Tip Reporting
https://www.p3campus.com/tipform.aspx?ID=5010&CX=e400e5

ZCSD SEL Resources
https://www.zacharyschools.org/Documents/Parents_and_Students/ZCSDSocialEmotionalCommunityResources.pdf

Raising Digitally Responsible Youth
https://resources.saferschoolstogether.com/link/352883/i/

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