- Shakopee Public Schools
- Safety and Security
Safety & Security
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The safety and protection of Shakopee Public Schools students and staff is our top priority. Within the district and schools, as well as events, we do our best to keep students, staff and visitors safe. Emergency plans are in place at each building and annual training is required by all district staff to ensure the latest tools and information are shared.
Additionally, practice drills held each year (5 lock down drills, 5 fire drills and 1 tornado drill), combined with our partnership with Shakopee Police and Fire Departments. These efforts greatly contribute to the safety of our students and staff. Additional drills are held at the district office and other activity areas throughout the school year and prior to start of a new school year.
With the past voter-approved referendum in 2015, funding was set aside for safety and security improvements across the district. Below are some of the measures already in place and that continue to be updated. School and district safety is our top priority and we will continue to be proactive in maintaining a safe and secure environment.
Sample Safety Measures
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ALICE
Shakopee Public Schools implemented A.L.I.C.E. (ALICE) in the 2016-17 school year. ALICE is a lockdown procedure, which stands for:
- Alert
- Lockdown
- Inform
- Counter
- Evacuate.
The ALICE protocol empowers all teachers to get students away from danger following certain guidelines.
Prior to the formal launch, staff reviewed the ALICE video and held drills and staff meetings to provide opportunities to ask questions. At a minimum, district staff reviews ALICE protocols yearly, preferably over the summer when all teachers report back to work.
As a district, we will continue to monitor and evaluate all safety/emergency drills, reflect and debrief to continually improve. Presently training is offered to more than 1,000 staff members at all levels and locations via both an online training course and in-person training at our schools, when permissable.
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Raptor Visitor Management System
Shakopee Public Schools implemented the Raptor Visitor Management System during the 2019-20 school year. The system enhances school security by reading visitor drivers’ licenses (or other approved government-issued ID) and comparing information to a sex offender database. Potential matches will alert school administrators and local police that a match has been found. When a visitor is cleared through the system, a visitor badge is produced that may include a photo of the visitor. All visitors are required to utilize this system.
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Security Cameras
Security cameras are installed in heavily used hallways, common areas, entrances and exits in Shakopee schools. More than 600 cameras are installed throughout the district.
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Door Access
The district has upgraded door access in each building to a more user-friendly control system that allows our Buildings and Grounds Department to schedule when doors (with card readers) are locked/unlocked. Card access is required for all exterior entrances and other secure areas within each building.
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Lockdown Card Reader System
Shakopee Public Schools card reader system allows the cardholder to lock down buildings automatically. Once the card scans, the system can lock exterior doors (that have card readers) in the event of an emergency.
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PREPaRE
As part of district effort to continuously improve our approach to school safety and crisis planning, we have implemented the PREPaRE framework. PREPaRE stands for:
- Prevent (and prepare for psychological trauma)
- Reaffirm (physical health and perceptions of security and safety)
- Evaluate (psychological trauma risk)
- Provide (interventions) & respond (to psychological needs)
- Examine (the effectiveness of crisis prevention and intervention)
PREPare is a framework that was developed by the National Association of School Psychologists as part of their decade-long journey in providing evidence-based resources and consultation related to school crisis prevention and response. School crisis' are relatively unique and require their own model, school climate and safety are associated with academic achievement, and at some point all schools may experience some level of crisis.
Nearly 100 Shakopee Public Schools staff have participated in a 1-day PREPaRE workshop. Attendees consistently include counselors, principals, front office administrative assistants, district administrators, custodians and school psychologists. Continual training is provided to ensure staff are prepared each school year to support such crisis needs.
