Safety & Security

During an emergency, or threat of an emergency, school officials and law enforcement take specific, planned steps to keep students and staff safe. Emergency plans are confidential in order to ensure that they are not compromised. 

1. School officials will work closely with law enforcement.
2. Schools will go into either secure mode or lockdown mode.
   • Secure mode - occurs when there is a threat outside the building or there is a non-threatening circumstance when people need to be kept away from areas (e.g. medical emergency or disturbance). During secure mode, no one can enter or exit the school.
   • Lockdown mode - usually occurs when there is a threat or intruder inside the building.
3. School officials will make calls on the Blackboard (robocall) alert system and will post information on the school website.

We understand that parents and guardians may wish to take their children out of school during these times. Unfortunately, parents' desire to take their children may create situations that further complicate an emergency.

If you choose to come to school during an emergency, you will not have the kind of access to the school and your child to which you are accustomed. The following information is important:

• We suggest that parents refrain from coming to a school during an emergency. We may close the school and parking lot to everyone except for police, emergency workers, and school officials.
• The presence of additional people on or near school grounds makes it more difficult for police, emergency workers, and school staff to do their jobs. Parents who do come to school will have to wait in cars or outside the school until we are certain the situation is safe.
• Until all students and the school building are safe and secure, we do not release students from our supervision.
• If there is an evacuation from a school, all students will be moved to a secure, safe location away from the school under the supervision of teachers and administrative staff.
• Because of the need to maintain order, school staff may not release your child even if you have told your child to leave. Your child is safer under the supervision of school staff than on his or her own.
• Please refrain from using cell phones and landlines to call the school or your child, as this ties up the phone lines for emergency personnel handling the situation.

During a crisis, our district puts a priority on providing accurate, timely information as it becomes available. We will coordinate any release of information with law enforcement. However, it will not contain all the details of the incident and updates may not be frequent as district officials' priority will be ensuring the safety of the staff and children. To get information, you should monitor school and district web sites. You may also call the district office at 763-497-3180; however, telephone line capacity is limited and access may not be possible.

When inclement weather has the potential of impacting the safety of students and staff, the school district will rely upon many professional resources to guide the decision to close, delay, or dismiss school. An automated announcement will be sent to families and staff and will be posted on the district website, WCCO, KSTP, KARE, and KMSP (Fox 9). Announcements will be made when school is closed or delayed and not to confirm that school is on time.

Procedures for Determining Closings and School Delays 

While school closings and delays can cause hardships for parents/guardians, a decision will always be based solely upon the safety of students and staff. In addition, a decision will not always be the same as decisions of neighboring school districts because weather patterns, geographic characteristics, and road conditions may be different. Whenever possible, the district will decide to close or delay school prior to 5:30 a.m. A decision to delay school two hours may be made in order to allow additional time to monitor weather, permit road crews to plow and treat roads, or allow for weather conditions to improve. A final decision to close school will be made by 8:00 a.m. if the start of school was initially delayed two hours. 

During a late start event, absences and tardies will be excused if the parent/guardian indicates it is due to weather or they are concerned with the safety of their child.

The superintendent will begin at 4:00 a.m. by checking National Weather Service reports/webinars, reviewing radar, and driving roads in the district to check conditions. In making a decision, the superintendent may consult with other school districts, Vision of STMA bus company, public works departments from the City of Albertville and City of St. Michael, and district buildings and grounds staff. School closings and delays will be based upon the following:

1. Current weather conditions and future forecast including temperatures and wind chill conditions

2. Timing of the start and end of a storm and of other weather conditions such as fog and ice

3. Ability of road crews to plow and maintain roads and apply chemicals in conditions that improve road surfaces

4. Ability of district grounds staff and contracted services to remove snow in parking lots

If because of unexpected changes in weather conditions, a decision is made to close school after buses have begun routes, buses will be directed to complete the route and bring students to the school for further instruction. Students will be kept at the school until parents/guardians can make arrangements to pick them up.

Occasionally, the district may issue an announcement that, for safety reasons, rural school buses are running on plowed roads only. This announcement will be made by automated announcement and on the district website. This announcement will be made because city streets are plowed and safe; however, rural roads are not plowed or are blown shut. Families who live on rural roads may: 1) keep their student home for safety reasons and call their school to report the absence, which is excused, or 2) transport students to and from school themselves. All other students are expected to attend school. This approach will provide an opportunity for learning to continue for most students and at the same time maintain safe school bus travel.

Bus drivers have the discretion to determine if it is safe to drive on a road. If a driver makes a decision not to drive on a road, the driver will contact the dispatcher who will contact the district office with the names of students who will not be picked up. District and building personnel will notify parents/guardians or emergency contact.

Early Dismissals

Early dismissal may occur because of weather conditions that may result in unsafe road conditions during normal dismissal times. The decision to dismiss school early will be made approximately two hours before the early dismissal time, whenever possible.  In all weather related instances, notifications will be communicated to parents/guardians via automated announcement and email at least one hour prior to the dismissal of students in order to provide time for parents/guardians to make arrangements.

Activities

All activities and practices are generally canceled when school is closed or dismissed early. 

Afternoon/Evening Activities Canceled

Afternoon and evening activities may be canceled. This decision will be made with input from the Activities Director and Vision of STMA bus company. Kids Play may remain open (consult with Cameron Goude and Lisa Becker). The Activities Center may remain open or have shortened hours.

Cold Weather Guidelines

The district uses the National Weather Service Wind Chill Chart to decide to delay or close school. The school will delay or close school if frostbite times are in the range of 10 minutes or less as measured by the chart.

Communication

For school closings, delays, or early dismissal communication to parents/guardians and staff will occur as follows:

1. Automated announcements by voice and email will be sent to families and staff.

2. Announcement on the district and school websites

3. Announcements on WCCO, KSTP, KARE and KMSP (Fox 9)

4. Facebook/Twitter

STMA Online

STMA Online will follow the same schedule as the district (i.e. district is two hours late, STMA Online is two hours late).

Kids Play

If school is closed before the start of school (7:45 a.m.) or after a two hour delay that is changed to a school closing before the start of school, Kids Play/Just 4 Kids will be closed. Parents/guardians will be notified to pick up their child as soon as possible.

If school closes early, all Kids Play children that are scheduled to attend on that day for the 2:00-6:00 p.m. program will be sent to their scheduled site. Kids Play/Just 4 Kids will remain open until 4:00 p.m. The programs reserve the right to close earlier if weather is severe.