Superintendent Dr. Wright told the Blue Ridge Unified School District governing board the district has expanded emergency planning for wildfires and other critical incidents, emphasizing evacuation procedures for students with exceptional needs, coordination with local law enforcement and staged reunification with families.

Dr. Wright said the elementary school is the district’s preferred evacuation site because of its fire-resistant construction and surrounding cleared defensible space. He reported the district has practiced loading buses and moving students during drills and intends to run a timed evacuation drill with the junior high before the end of the school year; an autumn drill will include the high school.

The superintendent stressed safety as the top priority. “Job 1. It’s not convenience. It’s getting everybody there safe,” Dr. Wright said, explaining the district will prioritize moving students off campus and keeping them safe even if reunification takes time.

Planning details the board heard included identification of students with complex care needs who may require multiple staff or specialized equipment during an evacuation, staging of age groups at the elementary site, coordination with town law enforcement to keep roads clear for buses, and communications contingencies if cellular or landline service is interrupted. Dr. Wright said the district recently bought radios and is working with town officials to test and refine routes.

Dr. Wright also updated the board on school safety staffing and found opportunities: the district obtained grant funds to support one full-time school resource officer (SRO) at the high school and two additional positions that can be filled by off-duty or contracted law enforcement. He credited district staff for pursuing the grant and said the town is assisting to ensure on-campus presence.

Other operational notes: the district’s daily average membership was reported as about 1,635 students, with a funded number the superintendent estimated closer to 1,575. Administrators also flagged facilities work: multiple boilers are aging and replacements are in the queue, and some rooms were unusually cold on a recent morning. Dr. Wright said maintenance will run systems to ensure student comfort while replacements are scheduled.

Board members asked about parent pick-up during pre-evacuations. Dr. Wright said it depends on the incident: for planned early releases the district will allow parents to pick children up; for active evacuations the district will ask parents not to come to the campus to avoid blocking emergency access.

Ending: The superintendent said the district will continue weekly planning meetings through the spring and invited the board to a staff training session on April 4 led by the district’s external safety consultant. The board paused for public comment and set its next regular meeting for Feb. 11.