Safe Schools Reporting
Safety is Our Priority!
In Royal School District, the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority and we strive to be proactive regarding all facets of safety. We invite you to be our partners in ensuring a safe learning environment.
In order to provide a quality learning environment, students and staff must be safe. This is why our district has safety systems in place, which are highlighted on this page.
Royal School District follows established safety practices with oversight from the District Safety & Compliance Officer and school safety teams. Please note: All of our safety plans and protocols are not made public. Access is limited to first responders and district staff. However, some of the key elements of our district’s preparedness plans are outlined below.
We hope this information helps answer questions you have concerning actions and intentions of our district in the event of an emergency.
Crisis Response Terms
To be consistent across Royal School District, we have developed the following list of terms to use in emergency situations. It is important that parents and families familiarize yourself with these terms as they are used accordingly in safety alerts and communication throughout the year.
Remember These Core Four Terms:
Other safety terms you should know:
- Reunification Site: Location where students are transported or assigned to meet at due to unsafe conditions at the school site.
- Student Release Area: Specific place at the reunification site where parents may pick up students.
- Rally Point: Designated meeting point.
- Reverse Evacuation: Students return from outside to the safety of the school.
- Drill: The practice of a specific safety circumstance designed to prepare staff and students to act quickly and minimize questions and fears should an emergency take place.
- School Resource Officer (SRO): Uniformed police department officer assigned to schools to help build and maintain relationships between police, students, families, staff, and administrators.
In the event of a crisis situation, please be assured that all of our schools have an emergency management plan in place and that school, district, and emergency staff will respond accordingly. We need your support and ask that you rely on communications directly from our school district.
Parents Are Our Partners in Safety
- Talk to your child about safety and the drills they practice at school. Make sure to monitor social media sites, recognizing warning signs, when to intervene, and stay involved.
- Keep connected by ensuring your child’s school has up-to-date contact information for your household and all emergency contacts.
- Understand that in any situation, students will only be released to individuals authorized on emergency contact records.
- Follow all policies and procedures established by your child’s school for parking, gaining building access, and visitation.
- Know about and help promote our District’s anonymous tip-reporting system.
- Be our safety partner. In the event of a safety situation, stay calm and refrain from accessing school campuses unless directed. Know that the District’s first priority in every situation is keeping your student safe.
In the Event of an Emergency in Royal Schools
Before an Emergency:
- Ensure the emergency contact information we have for you is accurate and current, including who is authorized to pick up your child. Check Skyward Family Access to confirm your contact information at least annually.
- Explain to your child that cell phones should not be used during an emergency unless directed by a teacher, administrator, or emergency personnel.
- Please refrain from calling your student. Sound, vibration, or conversation could draw attention to your child’s location. Students also need to be paying attention to instructions from their teachers and trained personnel.
During an Emergency:
- Trust that emergency personnel and staff are doing everything to protect your child first, then we will communicate with you.
- Please listen to messages we leave on your voicemail. Our phone system is often flooded with calls from parents who have not listened to the message.
- Please do not call the school. In a crisis situation, school phones lines must remain open to manage the situation.
- Please do not call or text your child. If a ringer is on, your call could give away their hiding spot or distract them from receiving instructions.
- Please do not come to the school. No one will be allowed on campus during an emergency. Emergency personnel responding to the situation need the area clear to do their job. After emergency responders determine that a safe student release is possible, arrangements will be made to reunite children with their families.
After an Emergency:
- Parents/Guardians will be directed to the reunification site. Photo identification is required for release of students.
- Students will only be released to a parent/guardian and/or other adults listed on the student’s Emergency Contact Information, which was provided at the beginning of the school year. The individual picking up a student will be asked to complete a Student Release Form (given onsite). This procedure is designed for your child’s protection and for your peace of mind.
- Please be aware that reunification can be time consuming and your patience will be appreciated.
- It is important to remain calm, as children are greatly influenced by their family’s sense of well-being. Anything that families can do to reassure students will be helpful. At the same time, families need to be compassionate listeners when their children speak of the crisis. Seek help from the school, District, or community resources if you or your child have concerns.
Emergency Communication Protocols
In an emergency situation, parents will be contacted via phone, text, email or by all three methods. Remember that our staff is trained to protect students and to manage the situation in a building first, then communicate with the District office. The speed of outside social media travels faster than the time it takes to assess a situation so that action can be taken and an investigation initiated. When we share information, our goal is to ensure it is timely and accurate. During some incidents, the District cannot share information from law enforcement. The District communicates what we can and when it is appropriate and legal to do so.
- District and school administrators and law enforcement are the only official sources of information in a school emergency. The first and official way for us to contact you in an emergency is using our mass notification system via text and/or phone call.
- We will use multiple channels to provide you with accurate and timely information:
- District website: royalsd.org
- Phone call
- Email
- Text message, if opted in
- If necessary, local news media will be contacted and will be asked to help broadcast important information.
- NOTE: Our district will rarely use social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) to communicate emergency situations. Social media can be an unreliable tool during crisis situations due to the platforms’ algorithms that can prevent messages from appearing in a timely manner and not include subsequent updates. We want to guarantee that our message can get to you right when we send it.
Our Commitment to Safety – All Schools, All Year
- We routinely conduct safety drills to ensure that if we are faced with an emergency situation, we can act orderly and swiftly.
- All buildings are designed for safety with systems that manage access to exterior and some interior doors on campuses, including vestibule entryways.
- We partner with the Royal City Police Department and Grant County Sheriff's Office.
- We have a School Resource Officer who is housed at Royal High School and can respond to any Royal school campus.
- Each of our schools has a comprehensive safe school plan which outlines procedures and strategies for crisis situations.
- A Threat Assessment System has been implemented for the purpose of preventing targeted violence.
- An Anonymous Safety Reporting Tip Line is available from the home page of each of our school and district webpages. Students, parents, and/or community members can report information about potential violence or other issues that may need to be investigated.
- Our staff continue to receive emergency training each year.
Royal School District Safety Contacts
- Cody Miller, Athletic & Activities Director / District Safety & Compliance Officer, PH: 509.346.2256 ext: 3104
- Roger Trail, Superintendent, PH: 509.346.2222
- David Andra, Assistant Superintendent, PH: 509.346.2222
- Royal High School – Courtney McCoy, Principal, PH: 509-346-2256
- Royal Middle School – Jerred Copenhaver, Principal, PH: 509-346-2268
- Royal Intermediate School – Angie Baldus, Principal, PH: 509-346-2226
- Red Rock Elementary School – Missy Stevenson, Principal, PH: 509-346-2206