CVUSD security asks for increased funding for canine detection services amid increase in incidents at schools
Security at the Coachella Valley Unified School District plans to ask for additional funds to increase the number of visits by canine detection services.
The services are provided by Interquest Detection Canines of San Diego. In August 2022, the board originally approved 24 visits for canine inspections at CVUSD schools. According to district documents, there have been 15 visits since August.
During Thursday's board of education meeting, Gustavo Paiz, CVUSD's director of safety & security, will ask for an additional $9,000 for the program. If approved, the additional funding will bring the grand total spent to $23,800.
"Ensuring the safety and security of students, teachers and all staff is priority number one. By offering this contraband inspection service, the District will help to minimize the presence of illegal drugs, alcohol, weapons, and medication abuse on our school campuses," reads the agenda item for Thursday's meeting.
According to the board agenda, the district will request 15 additional visits to "increase presence at secondary sites, which includes checking students who board buses before senior events i.e., and grad night. "
INCREASED INCIDENTS AT CVUSD SCHOOLS
This request follows an increase in incidents at CVUSD schools over the past couple of months. Some of those incidents have led to lockouts, including one where students had a gun at Toro Canyon Middle School.
One of the major recent incidents involved a student bringing a loaded gun to Coachellla Valley High School back on January 20. Parents and teachers did not learn of the incident until nearly a week later.
Tuesday morning, CVHS was under yet another lockdown after an unfounded report that a student had a knife on campus. There ended up being no threat to students and staff, but that didn't stop parents/guardians from crowding the gates of the school looking for answers.
CVUSD spokesperson Lissette Santiago sent News Channel 3 a list of security and safety enhancements implemented by the district at that school. Among the enhancements was that the district increased its random canine unit school checks from one to two times per week.
Check Out the Full List of Safety and Security Enhancements at CVHS(Courtesy of CVUSD)
"Since the January 20 gun incident, we have taken concrete steps to enhance campus safety and create a more positive learning environment for students. Many of these initiatives were the result of meetings held at the high school. They have also served to make improvement across the entire school district. The following represents some of the actions that we are formalizing, and will share with students, parents, and communities:
- Immediate Actions
- Developed a comprehensive school safety plan that outlines procedures for dealing with potential threats and emergencies. This plan includes procedures for responding to fires, natural disasters, active shooters, and other potential threats. In addition, each school has its School Safety Plan that provides guidance on handling site emergencies. Student Support Services is finalizing the updated School Safety Plans.
- Established a security team comprising staff, and security personnel, with local law enforcement support, to monitor the school grounds and ensure that everyone is safe.· Updating our security equipment School cameras at CVHS and other schools.
- Expanding the use of our reporting system for use by students, teachers, and staff to report suspicious activity or behavior to school administration and security personnel.
- Scheduling additional training and drills: Conduct regular training and drills to ensure that staff and students are prepared for potential emergencies. This includes active shooter drills, fire drills, and natural disaster drills. ALICE trainings continue for both site and DO staff throughout the second semester and summer, 2023. Additional training is being provided during the teacher PD day.
- Increased temporary campus safety support by 2 at CVHS, using the newly hired substitute CSA and regular patrol stationed at the high school. We are working to clear 3 additional CSA substitutes to always have coverage for absences.
- Updating bicycles for all district CSAs.
- Increased canine unit random school checks from 1 to 2 times per week.
- Expanding mental health support to students who may be struggling with mental health issues, trauma, or other challenges that could lead to violent or disruptive behavior. This includes clearing all Wellness Center staff candidates.
- Holding student positive behavior/campus expectation assemblies. The first was held on February 15, 2023, and will continue throughout the second semester. Additional assemblies are scheduled for all of our middle and high schools.
- Continue to develop a positive school culture that emphasizes respect, inclusion, and tolerance. Promote positive behavior through reward programs and recognition of good behavior. Transformational Justice continues to be a focus of our climate and culture implementation, including restorative practice activities, restorative dialogue with students, PBIS, and Transformational Learning, which brings the caring and welcoming environments to our classrooms, offices, and lunchroom areas.
- Teachers and staff across our schools will continue to be reminded of our agreements to provide that caring and welcoming environment – standing at the door, using student’s names to let them know they are cared for, asking about things the individual student interests, experiences, etc.
- We are resetting the implementation of our blended model to identify where we have not made headway, establish expectations, and schedule trainings, provide implementation guidance and support, and establish more concrete accountability measures.
- CVHS continues messaging their parents regarding the expectations they signed in the parent/student handbook and refer to the pages on a safe and orderly campus.
- CVHS established a School Safety Committee which meets regularly, to review and update the Campus Safety plan. It includes teachers, DO staff, and students.
- Student Support Services has reviewed student discipline behavior expectations and consequences have been reviewed to ensure all cabinet, Student Support Services members, and site administrators, are consistent in their application. Students are being held accountable in alignment with board policies and laws. This process will be a follow-up topic at our next principals meeting.
- Additional safety and security trainings scheduled for district CSAs and Patrols.
- Lanyards being updated for all students to wear while on campus, for identification.
- Reviewing the use of our bus cameras, as a consideration for expanding their use.
- Transparent student backpacks are being considered by the School Safety Committee.
- Continue securing school perimeters by replacing fences, as needed.
- Expanding site-based parent trainings by our Community Engagement Manager, with a focus on student safety and parent engagement. Information to be used in support of parents at home with their children, and as information for decision-making at the school and district levels.
- Expanding student career pathways at our high schools to provide students with greater learning opportunities, and engage them in something they may be interested in.
- Developing a wellness component for school-site staff for immediate and mid-term support. Mid-Term/Long-Term Actions· Expand La Familia and formalize our Virtual Academy for 2023-24, to increase the number of students needing additional support on a smaller campus, and who need more comprehensive academic assistance.
- Add door buzzers to secondary schools.· Reconfigure student enrollment to create a better distribution of students across the school district.
- Revisit low enrollment campuses and consider reconfiguring the use of school campuses as part of the Alternative Education Model, which would include La Familia, Adult Education, and the Virtual Academy.
- Construction of a new Coachella Valley high school
- Developed a comprehensive school safety plan that outlines procedures for dealing with potential threats and emergencies. This plan includes procedures for responding to fires, natural disasters, active shooters, and other potential threats. In addition, each school has its School Safety Plan that provides guidance on handling site emergencies. Student Support Services is finalizing the updated School Safety Plans.
