District outlines school safety drills, SRO partnerships and training plans in emergency‑preparedness briefing

Eric Reynolds, district emergency‑preparedness coordinator, briefed the board on the district’s comprehensive school site safety plans, annual earthquake/fire/lockdown drills and communication systems, saying plans are updated annually and developed in collaboration with site staff, law enforcement and fire partners.

Reynolds said the Ventura Police Department observes lockdown drills and provides written feedback each year; the district maintains an emergency phone tree, emergency flip charts in classrooms, and site command centers. He described investments in walkie‑talkies and district phone systems and noted ongoing work to improve intercom reliability and campus access control, including new lockable front doors at the ESC and fencing projects at selected sites.

Training priorities and SROs: Trustees asked about training for classified staff and employees who will be assigned to new campuses after recent staffing shifts. Staff said evacuation/earthquake drills must be completed within the first 4–6 weeks of school and that active‑shooter training (active assailant) has been offered districtwide with VPD; additional Zoom or in‑person sessions can be scheduled. Sergeant Munger (SRO supervisor) attended; district officials said the SRO contract under consideration reflects an ongoing partnership with the city and police department.

What’s next: Staff will continue to refine lockdown procedures at the ESC now that the front door can be locked, plan additional classified‑staff training during the August onboarding period, and bring updates as facilities upgrades (cameras, intercoms and fencing) proceed.