Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Rafael trustees approve multi-year security assessment and implementation contract
Summary
The San Rafael City Schools board approved a multi-year contract with security consultant Jason Vickery (through Keenan/I Am Ready) to implement recommendations from a district threat and physical-site assessment, after trustees and staff discussed immediate fixes and longer-term priorities.
The San Rafael City Schools Board of Trustees voted to approve a contract on Aug. 26, 2025, with I Am Ready/Keenan to move from a districtwide threat and physical-site assessment to phased implementation of security improvements at all school sites.
The action authorizes multi-year support for the district to implement recommendations from a recent assessment and to provide training and ongoing technical assistance. Board members approved the motion after presentations from district staff and security consultant Jason Vickery.
The vote followed a presentation by Vickery, who described the assessment findings and recommended a combination of low-cost operational changes and prioritized facility upgrades. “A lot of it comes back to what are your policies? What’s your practice? What’s your drills? What’s your culture and how committed are you to those things,” Vickery said, adding that simple changes such as ensuring gates spring closed and standardizing visitor check-in can reduce risk.
District staff told trustees some changes identified in the assessment already are being implemented, including perimeter fencing and single-point entry procedures at secondary sites. The district also reported an existing pilot of a visitor check-in product from Verkada at its high schools and current video surveillance coverage of 266 cameras, with plans to expand coverage.
Trustees and staff discussed immediate, low-cost fixes that could be prioritized—lighting in parking areas, signage directing visitors to front offices, standard visitor badges, staff identification, trimming sightlines for landscaping, and ensuring communication and mass-notification systems are in place. Vickery recommended adoption of a single emergency terminology (standard response protocol: lockdown, secure, shelter, evacuate) and said a mass-notification app that lets any staff member initiate an alert can close critical time gaps in an incident.
Board and staff emphasized the need to involve unions, site administrators, campus security, and community partners in prioritizing work. Deputy Superintendent Bob Marcucci and other staff said the contract would include implementation help over the next three years and training for campus security, administrators and staff.
The board approved the contract after Trustee Danae Marsh moved the motion and a second from Trustee Lott; the motion passed on an affirmative vote. Trustees said the contract is intended to support both immediate corrective actions and a longer-term cultural shift to standardize emergency procedures across the district.
Implementation steps and prioritization will be reported back to the board as the district and consultant develop a schedule and cost plan. District staff said many items identified in the report are maintenance or behavior changes that can be addressed without major capital investment, while others will inform future facilities planning.
