District OKs school safety plans

Governing board members pass plans for five sites, other five pending

School safety is a concern for parents across the Santa Clarita Valley, but those with children in the Newhall School District can worry less after governing board members approved the comprehensive school safety plans for half of district’s school sites on Tuesday.

“The annual review is mandatory to ensure that students and schools are adequately prepared for emergencies,” such as active shooters, earthquakes and fires, board president Phil Ellis said. “The approved documents are school plans that can be shared with everybody,” but they don’t include specific information that should be kept confidential for security reasons.

This week, the board reviewed and passed the plans for five of its school sites, including Oak Hills, Old Orchard, Peachland, Pico Canyon and Stevenson Ranch. The district expects to review the remaining five at the next board meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 23, Ellis said.

“Each updated plan shall include three essential components,” the agenda report reads. They must provide each student with resiliency skills, while also ensuring that each student has a safe physical environment, as well as a respectful, accepting and emotionally nurturing environment.

“We work with the sheriff’s department on the plan to ensure it meets each of the requirements laid forth by the state,” Ellis said. Most of the information in the booklet is site specific and possesses instructions for staff, students and parents of a particular school, “so it’s very effective and it’s very comprehensive.”