Leaders of the Clark County School District recently highlighted several security measures that will be in place by the time school resumes on Aug. 8.
CCSD tried several measures in some schools earlier this year, including wearable Instant Alert devices, which will allow teachers and other employees to request help, from low-level incidents to initiating a hard lockdown.
Students and parents will also see new fencing and single points of entry at many school campuses, as well as more school and municipal police presence along with the use of K-9 units.
The district is also upgrading cameras on all school buses in its fleet, which includes real-time monitoring capabilities.
Despite all of the measures, CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara said safety starts at home.
"Parents, I ask you, as you send your kids from home to our campuses, make sure you talk to them. You check their book bags, make sure they are ready to learn," he said. "You are the first line of defense. Students, please know that we will continue to enforce the district code of conduct. I can’t emphasize enough the safety of our students and our staff is of the utmost priority. So make sure your focus is on learning from day one."
The superintendent said he intends to request approval to implement the new safety measures in all the district’s schools at the next board meeting scheduled for Aug. 11.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Communities in Schools Nevada gave Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto a tour of Monaco Middle School to highlight the group's success.
The organization says they are the largest drop out prevention group in the country, supporting 1.8 million students in 26 states. In Nevada, the organization is active in Clark, Washoe, Elko and Humboldt counties.
Communities in Schools places a trained coordinator into high-need schools, such as those designated as Title 1 schools. That designation means having 60% or more of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch programs.
The organization helps students overcome a variety of issues that may be an impediment to their success.
Tammi Hance-Lehr, the state director of Communities in Schools, said these barriers could range from not having school supplies or needing a bus pass to more sensitive issues.
"The coordinator works one-on-one with the student and talks about what their struggles are, maybe at home, or on school campus with bullying, or maybe there’s some trauma they’ve experienced,” she said.
Across the state, as many as 70% of students qualify for the Title 1 financial need category. There is a waiting list of more than a dozen schools in Southern Nevada wanting to adopt this program because it graduates 92% of the kids who participate.
