Omaha Public Schools board approves updated emergency operations plan after safety review

The Omaha Public Schools Board of Education approved an updated district Emergency Operations Plan after administrators described safety improvements and a review following a recent school shooting.

District presenter Lisa Utterback told the board the plan is required by state statute and that the district has adopted layered safety practices including the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) developed by the I Love You Guys Foundation, annual drills, trained safety teams, digital radios and a review by an independent safety expert. “Safety is our top priority,” Utterback said.

Utterback summarized steps the district will take this fall: increased training on threat assessment and prevention, annual communications to families about the SRP, and a move to a tiered threat‑assessment process to track patterns and intervene earlier. She said the district chose not to install metal detectors district‑wide, arguing the devices can create a false sense of security at buildings with multiple access points and that incidents have occurred in schools with detectors in place.

Board member Michelle Full asked for greater detail on how threat assessments work; Utterback described a four‑violation trigger that prompts a team to assess risk and, depending on level (low/moderate/high), implement a safety plan. Vice President Snipes asked about timelines and rumor control during incidents; Utterback said the district communications team provides timely updates to parents and that schools provided frequent updates during the recent North High incident.

The motion to approve the updated Emergency Operations Plan was made by Michelle Full, seconded by Board Member Thielen, and passed by roll call. The board recorded the motion as approved.