Health & Safety

Intermediate District 287 cares deeply about the health, safety and security of students, staff, and our surrounding communities. We offer resources and guidance to keep everyone within our facilities safe and secure by helping staff manage; student incidents/crisis, conduct investigations, navigate environmental health and safety concerns, prepare for emergencies, serve as the point of contact with emergency services, and all classroom safety needs. Please review the resources below and contact us if you have any additional questions regarding, Health, Safety, and Security.

Prevention

Layers of Safety

A comprehensive approach to school safety means that we must double down on the foundational trauma-responsive practices we know keep our schools safe, like trusting relationships with students, mental health supports, strong check-in and screening processes, and rigorous and engaging curriculum. The physical security of buildings is just one layer of safety, and we need many layers of safety working in tandem to optimize our safety efforts.

If you have any questions regarding safety, please reach out to your school's front office and they can put you in touch with your school's safety representative.

Intermediate District 287 follows a layers of safety model to provide the best care for our students.

ROBUST SAFETY PLANNING

EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS

DOORS LOCKED AND CCTV

VISITOR CHECK-IN

STUDENT SCREENING PROCESS

All students are screened as part of our entry into school by greeting students and thoroughly checking backpacks and coats. Many schools have mastered an effective school welcoming process. What does this look like and feel like? It’s about continuing to develop what we already know: strong relationships with students are essential.
- Checking in with students
- Assessing students’ physical and emotional well-being
- Taking “temperature” of the day’s climate, collectively and individually
- Empathy and understanding of how students show up and noticing when someone seems “off”
- Conversations that start the day on a positive note
- Body language that shows interest and care for students
- Acknowledging, greeting, and making eye contact with students

WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEM

Weapon/Metal Detection system designed to screen all persons entering a 287 facility for any possible concealed weapons that can cause mass casualties (E.g. firearms and explosives) on their person or belongings. Any potential weapon identified by the system is captured by a video clip of the specific person concealing the possible weapon and location. This would warrant a secondary search of the identified area.

STUDENT SAFETY COACHES

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT

Each site within District 287 has a mental health team comprised of School Psychologists, Social Workers, Behavior Support Professionals, and School Counselors. These staff assist with student mental health concerns and threats that may arise during a regular school day, or in a crisis situation. We also have a district-wide Mental Health team that supports sites which consists of the Director of Student Supports, Clinical Professionals, and a Hennepin County Systems Navigator that assists students and families access programs and support within the Hennepin County Community.

RELATIONSHIPS

CYBER MEASURES

The district has a Cybersecurity Incident Response plan to prevent, identify, respond to, and recover from cybersecurity threats that may impact the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the district's information systems and data. This plan aims to protect the district's assets, ensure the safety and security of all stakeholders, and minimize the impact of any incident the district may encounter.

Planning

Crisis Response Plan

The district has a well-developed emergency plan with specialized crisis responses based on the specific emergency and incident command teams assigned to specific responsibilities during a crisis.
The district has established safety and wellness committees which incorporate at least one representative from all bargaining units, roles, races, and genders. Site committees meet monthly and come together quarterly with the district committee to discuss and improve health, safety. and security.

Staff Training

Key staff members actively participate in School-Based Emergency Management training through the Minnesota School Safety Center, a division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
All staff are offered PREPaRE training through the National Association of School Psychologists around school crisis prevention and intervention training.
All staff members receive annual and onboarding training on building-specific safety procedures and processes, including requirements around safety drills (5 fire, 5 lockdown, and 1 tornado) and crisis response.

Communication

The district uses several methods to communicate with families/caregivers.

If there are weather related messages or other emergency communication, the district will send a phone voice message, email and/or text message to families/caregivers. These messages will be deployed through our mass notification system to the email addresses and phone numbers you entered or verified in the Online Registration and Verification process. You can update your contact information outside of the Online Registration and Verification process by calling the school directly (763.559.3535).
Pop-up notices will be used to communicate updates on weather related or emergency situations on the homepage of the district website.
Parents/guardians will always be contacted first in an emergency. Please do not add yourself as an emergency contact. Emergency contact(s) will be called if we cannot reach parent(s)/guardian(s).
Please only designate one phone number per adult as a Primary number (otherwise the system won’t display the numbers in the correct order).
If you check the “Release To” box under an Emergency Contact’s name, you are giving consent for your child to be released to the person you have designated; that is, you are authorizing that your child can be picked up by this person.

If you are not receiving timely communication from the district, please email info@district287.org

Family Partnership

Partnership with parents/guardians is essential during a crisis. Your close attention to updates and instructions during a school emergency are essential. Please see the Communication tab above. Feel free to discuss these guidelines with your child(ren), as appropriate for their age, so they know what to expect from you in the event of an emergency.

Parent partnership at-a-glance

Please do not come to campus or go to the scene of an emergency, even if it is your first instinct as a parent/guardian. Your presence may interfere with the emergency response.
As difficult as it is, do not respond to your child's request to leave school or for you to come to campus. If your child contacts you, tell your child to remain calm and to follow instructions from school officials or first responders. Remember, they may only know pieces of the larger picture.
Do not take action until you have received instructions from school officials through official channels.

Organizational Partnerships

Safety Response/Emergency Management

Safety Response Protocol (SRP)

To be prepared in the event of a natural disaster or any threat to student and staff safety, all building offices post the district Safety Response Protocol for quick reference. This document shows the safety response language that all staff members will use and students will be instructed to follow.
All staff members receive annual and onboarding training on building-specific safety procedures, including required safety drills (fire, lockdown, and tornado) and the language used to communicate during a crisis.
The foundational protocol was developed by the I Love U Guys Foundation and is used by thousands of schools and other organizations around the world.

BUILDING HEALTH AND SAFETY ANNUAL NOTICES

Dear Intermediate District 287 Families,

As we continue to navigate the events unfolding within our communities and across the region, I want to reaffirm our district’s unwavering commitment to the safety, well-being and support of everyone we serve.

Our schools will remain open and will continue to operate on their regular schedules. For many students, school provides stability, a sense of routine and access to meals and social-emotional support. Our staff are prepared to support any student feeling anxious, and schools have protocols to keep everyone safe. We want you to know that we do not collect information about a student’s or family’s immigration status for enrollment or attendance, and all students have the same right to attend school and receive services.

At the same time, we recognize that families across all demographic groups may feel heightened concern for the safety of their child(ren). We respect each family’s right to make the decision they believe is best for their child. Please continue to follow your school’s standard procedure for reporting absences so we can ensure all students are accounted for. Our staff will be reaching out to you to stay connected and discuss educational options. Also, please do not hesitate to contact your school if you or your child requires additional support.

Thank you for your continued partnership, compassion and trust as we work together to keep our schools safe, supportive and responsive to the needs of our community.

Sincerely

Marcy Doud

Superintendent

Brooklyn Park Police Department	Richfield Fire Department	Plymouth Police Department	ALICE Crisis Solutions
Brooklyn Park Fire Department	Minnetonka Police Department	Plymouth, Fire Department	Raptor Technologies
New Hope Police Department	Minnetonka Fire Department	The I Love U Guys Foundation	Evolv Technologies
West Metro Fire-Rescue Department	Eden Prairie Police Department	Minnesota School Safety Center	National Association of School Psychologists
Richfield Police Department	Eden Prairie Fire Department	US Department of Homeland Security	Hennepin County Sheriff's Office