Safety and Security

For consistency in our communications, we use the following terms:

DRILL: Students will be informed of the appropriate action to take in an emergency. Drills for fire, weather, intruder and other emergencies are conducted each school year in accordance with the requirements of counties, municipalities or fire protection districts in which school buildings are located.

SPS (School Protection Specialist): Similar to our SROs, we have SPSs in our elementary schools through a partnership with Strategos International. These trained professionals rotate between three elementary schools and are present in their assigned schools each day. SPSs wear uniforms and carry visible duty gear and firearms. They focus on responding to security threats and emergencies; monitoring access points, school grounds, and arrival/dismissal; supporting crisis response and de-escalation; and building relationships with the school community.

SRO (School Resource Officer): Local law enforcement agencies have placed uniformed officers in the district’s middle schools and high schools. The SRO performs the regular duties of a law enforcement officer, makes classroom presentations, serves as a resource to parents/guardians, students, and staff, and assists in mediations.

SOFT HOLD: situations when a threat has been identified outside the building but is not related to the school. Doors are locked, students are kept in classrooms and classroom activities continue. Soft Hold procedures are followed.

HOLD: situations when a threat has been identified outside the school building, or the school has been notified of a potential threat outside the building but on campus. Doors are locked, students are kept in classrooms and classroom activities continue. Hold procedures are followed. This could also be used for a student or staff medical emergency when we need the hallways clear for emergency personnel.

LOCK DOWN: situations when a threat has been identified inside the school building.  All doors are locked and there is no movement within the building. Lockdown procedures are followed.

RALLY POINT: A predetermined area outside of the building where staff and students will gather if a class was already outside when the event happened, or the event is cause for them to move outside the building (such as a fire). Rally points are included in our drill protocols.

REUNIFICATION AREA: A predetermined location where students and staff will be transported.

The district’s emergency plan* will be implemented, and the district/school emergency teams will respond.

All appropriate emergency response agencies will be dispatched to the school.

Depending on the situation, students and employees will be secured within the building or relocated to a Reunification Site.

Families will be kept informed about the situation with as much detail as possible. The first and official way for us to contact you in an emergency is using our automated phone calling system and/or text messaging or email system. This will most likely originate from a phone number with an "816-359" prefix, as this is the prefix for a Park Hill School District phone number. Please only rely on these official communications as accurate information from Park Hill School District.

In an emergency situation, phones are needed to manage the situation and lines must remain open. We commit to communication as soon as law enforcement and school officials are able to relay information. We know the importance of clear and timely information for you.

You will not be allowed on school grounds during an emergency. Emergency personnel responding to the situation need the area clear to do their job. After emergency responders determine that a safe student release is possible, arrangements will be made to reunite students with their families. This will occur at a reunification site or at the school, dependent on the situation.

In most instances, students will not be allowed to take their property (coat, backpack, etc.) with them in an emergency.

*For security reasons, components of our emergency plans are not publicly available. Our plans do not replace the authority of emergency personnel. Our employees work in full cooperation with these agencies.

Families and guardians may be directed to a reunification site, where they will need to show photo identification.

Students will only be released to a parent, guardian, or other adult listed on the student’s Emergency Information Form, which parents/guardians completed at the beginning of the school year. The individual picking up the student will be asked to complete a Student Release Form (available on-site). This procedure is designed for our student’s protection and for parent/guardian peace of mind.

Please be aware that reunification can be very time-consuming, and we appreciate patience and grace.

It is important to remain calm as students are greatly influenced by their family’s sense of well-being. At the same time, families need to be compassionate listeners when their student speaks of an emergency. Please seek help from the school, district, or community resources if you/your student have concerns.

• Who or what you saw;
• When you saw it;
• Where it occurred; and
• Why it's suspicious

Other ways to "Say Something"

Scholastic Crime Stoppers
A free app is available for Android or Apple operating systems to report anonymous information from your phone, tablet or laptop. To download the app simply follow instructions:

• Visit the Google Play or Apple Store and download the free “P3 Tips” (Anderson Software) app.
• Once installed, open the app and set your passcode.
• Lastly, set your school by selecting country (United States), state (Missouri), city (Kansas City for Park Hill High School, Congress Middle School, Plaza Middle School, Lakeview Middle School or Walden Middle School, or Riverside for Park Hill South High School) then select your specific school.
• Your “default” location only has to be set once but can be changed anytime, if desired.

The school resource officer will receive your information. They can engage in real-time chat with you regarding your concerns and take the necessary action to resolve the matter. Videos, photos or documents may also be attached to the information being reported.

You can also call 816-474-8477 to report a tip.

Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers (P3 Tips)
The Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers, created in 1982, is a program under the Kansas City Metro Crime Commission 501(c)3 umbrella, that benefits everyone in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, which currently covers nine area counties.  
  
The Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers, with its triangle of cooperation between the citizens, the media and law enforcement, is dedicated to putting criminals behind bars while building a foundation of trust and support. The goal of the Crime Stoppers Program is to make the streets safer for our families and neighborhoods.

The local police department does not monitor Crime Stoppers tip reports. All persons submitting tips remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment of a felony offender.

You can report online, download their mobile app or call 816-474-8477 to report a tip.
 

Sprigeo
Students and parents may also report safety concerns using Sprigeo, an online reporting system the Park Hill School District uses to track situations such as, but not limited to threats, harassment, bullying, acts of violence, drug activity or possession of weapons on school property. All information sent through the Sprigeo system goes directly to school administrators through a secure online connection.

You can report online or download their mobile app.

Courage2Report Missouri
The Missouri School Violence Hotline, founded in 2001, transitioned to Courage 2 Report (C2R) Missouri in May 2019. C2R is a way for adults and children to be part of the solution in addressing community and school safety. 

C2R is a call and tips system, web and mobile app, monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by trained communication professionals. It includes a two-way dialogue, and reports are sent to school and/or law enforcement agencies for investigation and follow-up.

You can report online, download their mobile app or call 866-748-7047 to report a tip.

Here is our list of ten potential warning signs that can signal an individual may be in crisis or need help:

1. Suddenly withdrawing from friends, family and activities (including online or via social media)
2. Bullying, especially if targeted towards differences in race, religion, gender or sexual orientation 
3. Excessive irritability, lack of patience, or becoming angry quickly
4. Experiencing chronic loneliness or social isolation 
5. Expressing persistent thoughts of harming themselves or someone else
6. Making direct threats toward a place, another person, or themselves
7. Bragging about access to guns or weapons
8. Recruiting accomplices or audiences for an attack 
9. Directly expressing a threat as a plan 
10. Cruelty to animals.