MSAD 6 outlines ALICE school-safety training, schedules parent webinar

MSAD 6 leaders told the Board of Directors on April 7 that the district is rolling out ALICE — an active‑threat response framework — to staff and will begin broader parent and student engagement next week.

Assistant Superintendent Lori Napolitano said the district has trained a core group of instructors and introduced ALICE to staff at opening‑day training before expanding hands‑on exercises at each school. “ALICE is an acronym. A for alert, L for lockdown, I for inform, C for counter and E for evacuate,” Napolitano said. She described the approach as flexible: “you don't necessarily do them in any specific order…you're going to adapt the order according to whatever that situation is.”

The presentation gave directors the program’s rationale and rollout plan. Napolitano said staff have used research, including analyses of past campus attacks, to design training that emphasizes situational awareness and real‑time plain‑language information sharing rather than a single centralized command. She said the district plans a virtual parent webinar on Wednesday, April 16, to explain the program to families before students are taught age‑appropriate elements.

Selena Levitt, high school assistant principal, described how ALICE translates into practice at different grade levels. “Evacuation — you make the best decision based on the information you have,” Levitt said. She outlined classroom “go bags” kept in every room with attendance lists, basic first‑aid items and a few supplies to support short‑term sheltering or an unplanned evacuation. Levitt said high school drills will include older students in optional, deeper training while elementary procedures will remain teacher‑led and age‑appropriate.

Administrators addressed physical‑plant and equipment questions. The facilities director, Carl, said the district is auditing locks and door hardware to make barricading and locking easier. Napolitano added that the district is purchasing shades that can be lowered quickly in an emergency and that many schools already have shades or window covers available for drills and crises.

Directors pressed for detail on emotional safety and frequency of practice. Director Moses asked, “What do these drills look like to prevent, stress and, you know, trauma?” Napolitano said staff training begins slowly with tabletop exercises and limited hands‑on practice; student rollout will be gradual and include pre‑briefs and post‑drill check‑ins. “We are definitely…planning for check‑ins and conversations after drills,” she said, adding that more detailed materials and statistics will be provided in the parent webinar.

Board members also asked about law‑enforcement roles and how ALICE works with first responders. Napolitano said deputies and local police are consulted and staff will be trained to give accurate, plain‑language reports (for example: “a male wearing a white T‑shirt on the second floor, west wing, with a baseball bat”) rather than use codes that limit actionable detail for people deciding whether to evacuate, barricade or counter.

District leaders said ALICE is part of a broader, multi‑year emergency‑planning effort that includes regular fire and hold‑in‑place drills, updated intercom systems and capital improvements funded through the district capital reserve and facilities budget. Napolitano said seven staff are already ALICE‑certified instructors and that the program will expand classroom‑level drills over time.

The presentation closed with an invitation for directors and the public to join the virtual parent session next Wednesday and a pledge to provide follow‑up materials explaining age‑specific drills, instructor training and supports for staff and students who experience distress during exercises.