Kingston City School District board adopts districtwide safety plan after presentation and public comment

Kingston City School District trustees voted at their meeting to adopt a districtwide safety plan after a presentation by district staff and an extended public-comment period.

District staff member Mr. Parker presented the plan and said it establishes the district-level policies that form the foundation for confidential, building-level emergency response plans. “The district plan focuses on policy requirements and regulations and is the foundation of the building level plans,” Parker said. He described the building-level plans as operational documents that outline how individuals will respond in a crisis and noted that the building documents are confidential.

The plan standardizes emergency terminology and drills, including terms such as shelter/shelter-in-place, hold/holding, evacuate, secure/lockout and lockdown, and addresses procedures for after-school events and visitor management. Parker told the board the drilling language had been “simplified for clarity” and explained that drills during large assemblies may be waived when…