Our safety and security policies revolve around three (3) key principles:
PREVENT: What can be done to help prevent a crisis event on campus.
MITIGATE: What can be done to help mitigate the impact if an event were to occur on campus.
RESPOND: How can we be best prepared to handle any events that occur on campus and bring them to their best possible conclusion.
CAMERAS: Our campus will be installing numerous cameras throughout the interior and exterior of our campus to serve both as a deterrent to errant behavior as well as a way to gather additional information should any inappropriate actions occur on our campus.
RECEPTION ENTRANCE: We are in the process of installing a 2-way camera/intercom system at our front entrance, along with magnetic locks, so that we have greater control over who enters the reception area. The front doors will remain locked at all times and visitors will be required to be pre-screened with the receptionist prior to gaining entry into the building.
EXTERIOR DOOR CARD READERS: Primary exterior entrances will be equipped with electronic card readers to allow staff to enter the building as needed while exterior doors are locked. This capacity will eliminate the need to prop doors open when classes are outside at recess and will also allow for managed campus access control without the need to distribute physical keys.
CLOSED CAMPUS: With the exception of our arrival and dismissal times, our campus will remain a close campus, meaning that the campus is enclosed with a security perimeter fence and that all exterior gates are closed and locked at all times. Visitors must use the 2-way callbox to request admittance to the campus before entering.
LOCKED EXTERIOR DOORS: All exterior doors to the campus building will remain closed and locked at all time. The only exceptions will be during arrival/dismissal or during large deliveries. At those times, doors will be monitored by staff to ensure that only authorized individuals are entering the facility.
VISITOR SCREENING: All visitors to our campus must present photo identification and be screened via our RAPTOR visitor screening software. RAPTOR performs an instantaneous screening against the sexual offenders registry as well as customized databases, and also maintains logs of all visitors to the campus.
ID Badges: All staff must wear visible identification at all times. All visitors will receive a visitors badge after signing in and must wear this badge at all time while on campus.
BACKGROUND CHECKS: All individuals must submit a complete volunteer packet in order to be on campus as a volunteer. This packet is then submitted to our national headquarters which completes a background check before authorizing their participation on our campus.
STUDENT SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SUPPORT: At IDEA Kyle, we use the "Move This World" social-emotional curriculum to develop emotional intelligence skills for long-term well-being and student’s mental health safety. Move This World's curriculum leads to deeper self-awareness, stronger relationships, effective communication, and a culture of safety and support. If you are interested in the curriculum, check this link out: https://www.movethisworld.com/how-it-works/
BEHAVIOR THREAT ASSESSMENTS: IDEA Kyle has a Behavior Threat Assessment team which is trained on bullying prevention, suicide prevention, and threat assessment protocols. This team utilizes the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) when assessing situations involving harmful, threatening, or violent behavior and will partner with first responders and other community partners in any situation that raises critical safety concerns.
LOCKED CLASSROOMS: All interior classroom doors will remain closed and locked at all times. Having locked classrooms will allow for immediate protection in the event of any unauthorized entry into the campus.
SECURITY: Our Security Officer Mr. Oneal is on campus everyday! He monitors the exterior of our campus to make sure all of our doors are closed and locked at ALL times.
CRISIS TEAM TRAINING: Our Campus Crisis Team (the site-based emergency response team that leads the safety and security strategy for the campus continues to undergo trainings to ensure that they are aligned with all prevention and mitigation strategies and are ready to respond in the event of an actual emergency.
ONGOING REVIEWS: Our Campus Crisis Team meets monthly to continue to develop skills, engage in tabletop exercises (scenario-based practice opportunities to align on response procedures), and refine our safety and security policies. In addition, the CCT meets immediately following all safety drills to review performance and develop next steps which will allow us to close any gaps and further enhance our safety and security posture.
REUNIFICATION PLAN: We are working to develop relationships and plans with community partners which will allow us to utilize offsite locations in the event of a major emergency on our campus. This plan includes multiple backup sites, transportation to the sites, as well as complete policies/procedures for managing the reunification process with parents
SAFETY DRILLS: For the 22/23 school year, IDEA Kyle is increasing the number of scheduled safety drills to 23. These drills will be conducted at pre-selected times throughout the year to continue to build capacity within our entire staff, but also to prepare our scholars to respond appropriately in an emergency.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS: IDEA Kyle is proud to partner with the Kyle Police Department in the training of our Campus Crisis Team on best practices and expectations during an on campus crisis. For the 22/23 school year we look forward to continuing to work together with both the KPD as well as other community partners to ensure that all necessary parties are aligned and prepared for potential emergencies.
