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Safe and Respectful Environment » The PYLUSD Advantage, Focus Area 4.0 - Safe and Respectful Environment

The PYLUSD Advantage, Focus Area 4.0 - Safe and Respectful Environment

Included in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) Strategic Plan, The PYLUSD Advantage, Focus Area 4.0, outlines that a safe and respectful environment is essential to student success. In PYLUSD, we foster a culture that promotes the emotional health, safety, and well-being of students, staff, and parents.

For years, PYLUSD has been hard at work collaborating with various stakeholder groups to develop the below list of safety and wellness initiatives implemented, as well as those in progress and/or being researched, throughout the district. Many stakeholder groups played an important role in compiling this list including our Teacher Advisory Council, Unified Council of PTA/PTSAs, Community Advisory Council, District Leadership Team, and more.

While this is not intended to be an exhaustive list, it does highlight several key initiatives in seven subcategories related to safety and wellness. This list will continuously be updated as new initiatives are implemented.

During these times of heightened uncertainty around the nation, PYLUSD will remain vigilant in our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellness of our students and staff.
Focus area 4.0 graphic.
A. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND SAFETY INITIATIVES 
IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING
  • Expanded School Resource Officer (SROs) coverage to provide support to school sites
  • “Lock Blok” installation on all 2,300 doors at school sites
  • Additional crossing guards at multiple district locations
  • Site walks with law enforcement to familiarize police staff with campus design and layout
  • Site walks of all campuses to determine fencing needs
  • School site maps updated to reflect current campus layout
  • All police municipalities provided updated digital maps for use in each patrol unit
  • Gate keys provided to law enforcement for emergency access
  • Painted six foot numbers on every school roof for police identification during emergency response
  • Fencing added at several school sites to address security needs
  • Classroom lockdown kits to all school sites for every classroom and strategic locations on each campus
  • Search and rescue equipment for every school campus in an effort to equip all search and rescue teams
  • Command center and parent reunification equipment and supplies on each campus
  • Health offices provided an emergency response backpack containing medical supplies
  • Health offices provided mobile supply carts for medication transport
  • Replaced outdated radios with new radios
  • Conduct monthly radio checks with all district sites to ensure effective communication
  • Reestablished District Emergency Operation Center (DEOC) for centralized communication and coordinated response
  • Tested all “power-fail” phones and re-establish phone list
  • Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) location at Esperanza High School for emergency response
  • Uniform shirts for campus supervisors for easy identification and increased visibility
  • Heat index protocols in place for outdoor activities
  • Emergency Chromebooks for school site front offices
  • Expanded security camera infrastructure at middle and high schools
  • Created uniform electronic visitor sign-in procedures with the School Access Management (SAM) system as well as a badging system for visitors on campus
  • Communication drill with school staff and District EOC
  • Installation of shelving in sea containers for better organization of emergency supplies
  • Implementation of Synovia Child Check/Ridership system in all buses
  • Exterior lighting fixtures with LED lighting resulting in brighter and more cost-effective lighting
  • Lockdown procedure posters for all classrooms and common areas
  • “Knox boxes” for each site
  • Schools conduct lockdown drills annually
 
B. EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING
  • Lockdown protocols established in collaboration with five law enforcement agencies to ensure uniform response and common language including “run, hide, fight” protocols
  • School sites hold various emergency drills during the school year as part of their comprehensive emergency response plans
  • Safe School Plans are annually updated and reviewed with staff
  • District communication plan for notifying school employees of an emergency
C. STAFF AND STUDENT EDUCATION
IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING
  • Staff training on emergency response protocols including earthquakes, fire, and lockdowns
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for all 9th-grade students
  • Suicide prevention/intervention training for middle and high school students and teachers
  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/automated external defibrillators (AEDs) training offered to certificated and classified staff regularly
  • Bullying prevention presentations at various school sites throughout the year
  • Principals trained in radio capability
  • Bullying prevention training for all site administrators
  • Training on emergency response and preparedness for district student services staff
  • Staff trained in emergency response first aid
  • Orange County Sheriff's Department (OCSD) Drug and Alcohol Education program implemented at select schools -- "Positively Know Drugs"
  • Updated Attendance Intervention Plan
  • Bullying prevention education for all district and school administrators, and teachers
  • Sexual harassment prevention training once every two years for all permanent and temporary employees
D. PARENT EDUCATION
IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING
  • Annual Parent University classes offered on topics that may include:
    • Current drug trends
    • Internet Safety
    • Prescription drug use
    • Vaping and e-cigarettes
    • Bullying and cyber-bullying
  • Six eight-week parent education classes (Love and Logic) offered in English and Spanish

E. BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT
IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING
  • Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
  • Student Study Team Intervention process for all schools
  • School counselors at all school sites
  • Provide behavior specialists for direct intervention and support
  • Uniform Codes of Conduct at the elementary, middle, and high school levels
  • Middle school counselors trained on restorative practices using circle groups
  • Gear Up intervention support classes for at-risk students at all secondary schools
  • “Text-a-Tip” lines for all secondary schools to confidentially report safety-related matters
  • Registered Behavioral Technicians (RBT) hired and trained to support schools district-wide
  • Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) to oversee RBTs
  • Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
  • Alternative to suspension model
 
F. MENTAL/EMOTIONAL WELLNESS
IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING
  • Full-time crisis counselor with expertise in threat assessment
  • Mental health clinicians and interns
  • Comprehensive suicide prevention and intervention plan
  • Outreach Concern counseling support at the elementary schools
  • Wellness counselors hired and assigned to support secondary schools district-wide
  • CareSolace will provide district families an optional online resource for referrals to counseling-related services
  • District-wide training on discrimination, harassment, and bullying prevention
 
G. PHYSICAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
IMPLEMENTED AND ONGOING
  • All high school student-athletes will have the option to receive pre- and post-concussion testing at no cost to PYLUSD families provided through ImPact Applications, an evidence-based tool used by thousands of K-12 schools, universities, and colleges worldwide
  • “Return to Learn” concussion protocols
  • Health clerks added to high-impact schools
  • Athletic concussion protocols
  • Epi-pens to all school sites on an annual basis to ensure availability
  • Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at all school sites
  • Diastat administration training for selected staff for seizure response
  • Vision/Hearing screenings at specific grade levels annually
  • Fresh produce bars at all elementary Title 1 schools
  • SPARK PE equipment at all elementary schools
  • Nutrition education at all school sites through classroom-delivered curriculum or school assemblies
  • St. Jude Hospital to provide expanded medical services at the Topaz Health Clinic
  • Dental services to students through Big Smiles and Ayuda International
  • Water sampling at all school sites to ensure safe drinking water
  • Hydration stations at all school sites
  • Vape detection devices at secondary sites
IN PROGRESS AND/OR BEING RESEARCHED
  • Replacement options for gate keys
  • Procedures for screening all volunteer aides (parent volunteers)
  • Door lock options for inward swinging doors and fire-rated doors
  • Expand student education on digital citizenship
 
*Last updated June 2023.