District safety briefing highlights drills and police partnership; board to meet in executive session on confidential safety plans

Wes Williams, the district's director of safety, gave a comprehensive safety briefing to the board that highlighted routine drills, an anonymous state tip line and active partnerships with local law enforcement.

Williams said the district conducts monthly fire drills, two bus-evacuation drills a year and a recent lockdown exercise (listed as Sept. 24). He also described an Oct. 17 earthquake drill and said building-level safety committees and a biweekly district safety committee review incidents, building inspections and incident reports. "The safety and well-being of our students and staff is the district's top priority," Williams said.

Williams and a police representative described the district's use of the Safe Oregon tip line — an anonymous statewide reporting tool — and said reports are routed to the state and to district administrators when action seems warranted. He described the district's high-visibility presence with Hubbard Donald Police Department officers at events and praised the department's outreach to students and families.

After the briefing Chair Ross Cecilia announced the board would meet in executive session pursuant to ORS 192.660(2)(k) to consider confidential safety plans and tactical responses to potential threats; she said representatives of the news media may attend but were specifically directed not to report or record deliberations. The board said it would not return to open session.

What's next: The board moved into the executive session for confidential discussion of tactical safety plans under ORS 192.660(2)(k). No additional details were released from open session.