By KC Somers, Peoria Unified Superintendent
We recognize that yesterday was an incredibly difficult day as we mourned the lives lost in a tragic school shooting in Winder, Georgia.
Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the entire community affected by this senseless act of violence.
During moments like these, we want to highlight a few of the precautions we have in place to support the safety of everyone on our 43 campuses.
- Each high school has a full-time, dedicated school resource officer on-site, and the Glendale and Peoria police departments have committed to providing shared school liaison officers to support Peoria Unified’s elementary schools.
- Peoria Unified has established four positions to oversee safety and security in the district who assist all schools and sites with safety drills and safety audits. These trained professionals evaluate the district’s safety procedures by following the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design strategy and collaborating with local law enforcement.
- Peoria Unified was the first school district in the state of Arizona to enter into a partnership with the city of Glendale on the use of their Real Time Crime Center. This allows police to access the security cameras on our school campuses during an emergency or 9-1-1 call. Until the city of Peoria establishes a RTCC, the Peoria Police department will work with their colleagues in Glendale.
- The district will communicate how students can maintain their physical, emotional and digital safety both inside and outside the classroom.
- The Student Services team will continue to offer monthly virtual training opportunities for families on various topics such as vaping, teen suicide, bullying, conflict resolution, and more.
In the coming months, the district will implement RAVE Mobile Safety, which is a software system, where staff will be able to immediately send an alert to police, fire or medical if emergency assistance is required through the touch of a button.
This is not a comprehensive list of safety procedures or features. Additional information on Peoria Unified’s focus on safety, including the district’s See Something, Hear Something, Say Something, Do Something campaign is available on the district’s website at www.peoriaunified.org/safety.
We understand the emotional toll this tragic event may have on our staff, students, parents and community. We encourage you to prioritize self-care as we navigate these difficult circumstances together. Should you need any additional resources, we have made them available on the district’s website.
