Safe Schools

Drew Diamond
Director of Security / Biography

357-6178

/ Student Assistance Program / Character Counts! / Helpline Poster /

Union Public Schools believes in the importance of keeping students safe and secure, whether they are in a classroom, an extracurricular activity or even traveling between school and home. Not only is keeping students safe and secure important, it is a priority.

Union has in place an initiative to manage and consolidate the Union School District’s security and prevention services providing the opportunity to explicitly address security, orderliness, and caring in our schools.

Utilizing the principles of progressive collaborative community engagement, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and peace building, Union is creating the necessary processes and providing the technical assistance to bring together Union school stakeholders to support them in assessing their needs and strengthening their capacity to leverage all available resources to develop and sustain peaceable schools.

In fact, Union wants its students to be safe even when they are at home, providing programs on fire safety, bad weather and avoiding illegal drugs and alcohol.

Each year, administrators review emergency procedures, security concerns and safety precautions for its students, families and staff.

Visitor Check-in security system

A new computerized security check-in system that identifies registered sex offenders from across the nation is installed at all Union schools. The decision is the result of recent changes in Oklahoma sex offender laws.

“We implemented the system districtwide as part of an overall plan to make our school entryways more secure,” said Jarod Mendenhall, assistant superintendent for Support Services. “ What we like about the system is that it is employee-run software and provides a consistent way to track visitors and volunteers while alerting us to people who might present a danger to students and staff members.”

According to state statute Title 57, section 582, sex offenders are prohibited from being within 300 feet of schools, licensed child-care facilities, playgrounds and parks. The only exceptions are when sex offenders are "enrolling, delivering or retrieving" their children from school, the law states.

Under state laws, sex offenders cannot visit schools for any other reason, including volunteering, attending a sporting event or providing assistance at an extracurricular activity.
Last fall, the district piloted a security system from Houston-based Raptor Technologies at Boevers, Darnaby and the 8th Grade Center.

In order to gain access to a school site, the following steps occur:

• A visitor must present a state-issued photo ID to the school receptionist.
• The receptionist will enter the ID into a software program that scans the visitor’s name, date of birth and photo for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. No additional visitor data will be gathered and no data will be shared with any outside company or organization.
• Once cleared, visitors are issued an individual visitor’s badge, which they should wear in a visible place throughout their stay.
• Badges should be returned to the office at the end of the visit when the visitor checks out.

Helpline - Helpline Poster

The most important tool in achieving safe and secure school remains alert eyes and ears. Real safety is achieved when an atmosphere exists in which students are comfortable talking with adults about their issues and concern.

One such tool available for students is a hot line – 461-HELP – which is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to anyone who wants to report a crisis situation or report a concern. The caller may leave a message so his or her call can be returned.

461-HELP - Union Safe Line
You may also call
1-877-SAFE-CALL, ext OK!
(1-877-723-3225, ext 651)

Not only does Union want students to be proud to attend school, but to feel safe and actually be safe at school. Preparation and awareness are key elements.

Superintendent Dr. Cathy Burden meets regularly with principals and law enforcement officials to discuss and plan for security concerns, such as updating its emergency procedures which contains protocols from everything from an approaching tornado to an intruder on campus. In addition to personnel, Union has invested in security systems, including cameras to help safeguard school sites.

Personnel travel around the district to oversee training and drills for both students and staff at all sites including the Education Service Center. While plans differ slightly at each school site – due mainly to differences in building designs – principals have stepped up efforts to raise awareness of safety – as well as the visibility of School Resource Officers with the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office. Officers work directly with students, parents, teachers and staff in assisting with education, prevention and intervention projects.

Union also works with students through a variety of programs administered by Danny Williams, who oversees the Student Assistance Program. Williams helps coordinate programs that not only help students recognize the dangers of drugs and alcohol – Drug-Free Youth – but also the important of strong, moral character through Character Counts.