School Safety and Security

Safety is the number one priority for Issaquah District Schools. The District and each school have a comprehensive crisis management plan in place to prevent a crisis and anticipate, prepare, respond, and recover from it should it occur.

*Please note: To avoid the exploitation of our safety plans by those who would cause harm or damage, we do not make these documents available to the public.

The mission of the Issaquah School District Safety and Security Department is to create and maintain a safe, secure, and tranquil environment for our students and staff and to serve the greater needs of the community by working in partnership with the local first responders and law enforcement agencies.

There are seven School Security Officers who are assigned primarily to the secondary buildings but assist throughout the District with everything from traffic control to crosswalk safety to monthly drills. They especially enjoy handing out stickers and visiting elementary schools during celebrations and activities. The District Lead Security Officer patrols the entire District, checking buildings and facilities and assisting where needed.

All the School Security Officers completed state mandated training on de-escalation techniques, working with students with mental health needs, rights of students, student interviews, and trauma-informed approaches. They are also trained annually in first aid, CPR, Narcan administration, Advanced Stop the Bleed, AED usage, fentanyl identification and response, as well as Safety Care De-Escalation Skills. They maintain regular contact with local agencies, police and fire departments, and assist with conducting after-action reviews and updating safety plans and procedures.

As for the school building and facility safety, the District has daily patrols of District buildings and facilities – including nights, weekends, and holidays. There are continual assessments of building and perimeter security, and additional security fencing is installed to secure building perimeters. All buildings are required to use the visitor management system, Legend ID, at entry, as well as controlled access by using vestibules, automatic doors, and keycard access controls. Currently, vape detectors are installed at all high schools and most middle schools. The District’s emergency radio system has been upgraded to provide better coverage and clarity while building radios are upgraded to enhance communications at each site.

There are also safety requirements that each school building needs to follow:

• Schools shall conduct at least one safety-related drill per month, including summer months when school is in session with students. These drills must teach students three basic functional drill responses: “Shelter-In-Place” “Lockdown” and “Evacuation” (RCW 28A.320.125)

• All building principals are required to be FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) certified. Our district is at 100% to complete FEMA ICS 100 course: Introduction to the Incident Command system, including all the Security Officers as well.

The District also has emergency plans in place to ensure the safety and security of students and staff. The Executive Emergency Response Team (EERT) guides the superintendent and cabinet with specific roles and responsibilities. The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is building-specific to each site within the District (based on Federal Emergency Management Agency model). The District recently provided additional training to all the elementary principals to include a tabletop earthquake drill. There are annual emergency container checks throughout District school buildings to make sure that emergency 10year water at sites is enough for each student and staff. Checks also include emergency classroom buckets, emergency backpacks and emergency information posters in each classroom, staff areas, and main offices.

As for school bus safety, the Bus Stop Paddle Program is in place to ensure that cameras are installed on all large buses for student safety during pickups and dropoffs. Additional cameras will be installed on small bus fleets. If a car runs a bus stop paddle, a ticket is issued from the King County Sheriff’s Office with a $476 fine.

There are other safety measures that the District currently puts efforts into:

• Security Team trained in best practices for testing and identifying illegal substances, including Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), alcohol, narcotics, and fentanyl.

• Narcan is located and available in every building and in multiple locations throughout the District.

• Well above the required number of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillator) throughout the District

• Over 1,600 cameras were installed throughout the District.

To check out more information regarding the District’s safety and security, please visit: https://www.isd411.org/about-us/safety-and-security