CCSD focuses on school safety

Clark County School District (CCSD) leaders highlighted a number of security enhancements being added to District campuses for the 2022-23 school year.

Click here to watch a school safety video from CCSD’s Police Department on tips heading back to the school year.

Instant Alert System

The pilot program of the Centegix CrisisAlert system continues at a number of CCSD campuses. The Instant Alert System allows employees to notify the school safety team of an emergency anywhere on campus through a badge worn by each employee. Through the badges, employees can alert staff of a low-level incident, like an injured student on the playground, or initiate a hard lockdown.

The pilot program began with nine CCSD campuses over the summer. The systems cost approximately $11,000 per campus and are being paid for using ESSER III funds.

Campus infrastructure

Throughout the 2022-23 school year, students, parents and employees will see new fencing and changes in traffic flow on campuses as schools enforce a single point of entry. Additionally, CCSD is working to upgrade to 4K security cameras on campuses.

The work will continue on CCSD campuses throughout the school year.

Police

The CCSD Police Department’s 175 officers continue training for various scenarios. Part of that training includes the recent active assailant exercises held in conjunction with other local law enforcement, which have been ongoing for more than two decades.

CCSD PD has two officers assigned to each high school campus and one officer assigned to each middle school campus.

Employee Training

CCSD Emergency Management and CCSD PD have been meeting with school principals for the annual review of each campus’ emergency response plans. Additionally, all District employees are required to complete annual District required training courses that include refresher lessons on school-based emergency responses.

Transportation

CCSD is upgrading onboard cameras on all buses in the District’s fleet.

The upgraded camera system will allow for more efficient video storage and real-time monitoring capabilities for CCSD Transportation Investigators.

“Student safety and well-being are paramount at CCSD. By upgrading the cameras on our buses we can monitor students and the adults charged with safely transporting them,” CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara said. “Better behavior results when cameras exist and they play a critical role in the safety plans for our schools and on our buses.”

All CCSD buses have operating camera systems. Approximately 60 percent of buses have been upgraded to the new camera systems for the start of the school year. Full implementation is expected by the beginning of the second semester. The upgraded camera systems are being purchased from Safety Vision with approximately $6,000,000 in bond funds.

CCSD maintains the largest owned/operated school bus fleet in the nation and the upgraded systems are being added to all of the District’s nearly 2,000 buses. CCSD Transportation operates approximately 1,400 routes and transports approximately 120,000 students daily.