District Level Planning

The superintendent or designee is ultimately responsible for overseeing ongoing activities in emergency mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.  Under his/her direction, the school district should form a district-level team to review the contents of this guide, and to modify it for local use.

Upon completing the revision of this guide, the District Support Team’s role changes to that of support.  The District Support Team functions to assist schools in the coordination and allocation of needed resources when the need imposed by the current situation exceeds the affected school’s normal resources.

Forming the District Level Support Team

Suggested steps for Team formation:

1.      Superintendent or designee communicates with selected staff in key district roles to recruit them to serve on the district team. As in the local school, a staff inventory should be conducted to determine if any individual has experience or specialized training in any of these areas.

2.      Superintendent or designee creates list of staff, making sure all major areas of need are addressed, including:

·            Superintendent

·        Director of security or law enforcement

·        Director of building and grounds

·        Director of maintenance

·        Director of transportation

·        Director of supply services

·        District secretary or receptionist

·        Director of community or public relations

·        Director of risk management and safety

·        School psychologists and social workers

·        Personnel with areas of expertise (i.e., CPR, first aid, etc.)
 

3.      An initial meeting is held with potential team members to discuss what will be expected for team membership and to outline steps for planning and implementation.

4.      District-level team identifies possible community agencies and individuals to assist in district planning, such as:

·        Police Department, Fire Department

·        Emergency Medical Services

·        Social Service Agencies (Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice)

·        City/county government

·        Local hospitals, medical & mental health professionals

·        Local/regional emergency management agency

·        Business representatives

·        Clergy, Parents

·        Local American Red Cross

5.      As much as possible, formalize interagency agreements with Memoranda of Agreements (MOA), letters of support, etc. (samples available at the Kentucky Center for School Safety web site:  www.kycss.org )

6.      Initially, meet as often as needed to review portions of this guide to modify for local use.  Have each team member review specific areas which pertain to their area of expertise (for example, local police and school security review protocols and actions which may involve a security response).

7.      When the adaptation of this guide is completed, schedule a “kick-off” presentation or training for school administrators to begin the process of school-level planning.

8.      Ongoing, hold regular team meetings throughout the school year to assist schools in school-level planning, to review school-specific plans, and to address ongoing issues as they arise (which may include local, state or national issues that may affect the district).  Small communities may wish to have all participants in the same meetings; larger districts may need to form smaller task forces to accomplish specific tasks.

9.      Schedule drills, practice and annual reviews (district and school levels).