Safety and Security

We are committed to providing safe, secure, and welcoming learning environments where students can focus on learning and growing.

The District works closely with local law enforcement, emergency responders, and community partners to continually review and strengthen our safety procedures.

District administrators regularly collaborate with first responders to review emergency plans and conduct preparedness exercises.

Safety officers talking in a half circle in a hallway

Building Safe and Secure Schools

Our Commitment

The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and visitors is the highest priority.

We are committed to providing safe, secure, and welcoming learning environments where students can focus on learning and growing. The District works closely with local law enforcement, emergency responders, and community partners to continually review and strengthen our safety procedures.

Comprehensive safety measures include secure building access with visitor management procedures, security cameras, locked exterior doors during the school day, staff identification badges, regular emergency drills, emergency communication systems, and ongoing safety training for employees. District administrators regularly collaborate with first responders to review emergency plans and conduct preparedness exercises.

Safety Protocols

To help maintain a safe learning environment, the District:

Keeps all school doors locked during the school day.
Requires visitors to check in through the secure entrance, present identification, and wear a visitor badge.
Requires all staff to wear District identification badges.
Conducts regular emergency and safety drills throughout the school year.
Maintains visible administrative and security presence in schools and at district events.
Trains staff to identify, report, and respond to potential safety concerns.

Behavioral Threat Assessment

Avon Grove School District follows a Behavioral Threat Assessment process to proactively identify, evaluate, and address concerning behaviors that may pose a risk to students, staff, or others.

Each building has a trained team that reviews available information, assesses the level of concern, and determines appropriate interventions and supports. The goal is to identify concerns early, provide support, and help maintain safe and supportive learning environments for everyone.

A Shared Responsibility

Creating safe schools is a shared responsibility.

Staff members follow established safety protocols, participate in emergency preparedness training, and report potential concerns.

Students are encouraged to follow safety procedures, practice respectful behavior, and speak with trusted adults if they have concerns about their own safety or the safety of others.

Parents are asked to familiarize themselves with school safety procedures, reinforce expectations at home, and report concerns promptly.

Together with our families and community partners, including law enforcement and emergency responders, we are committed to maintaining safe and supportive schools for every student.

Resources

Meet the Team

Director of Safety and Security

Chrissy Simpkins

School Police Officer

Officer Bill Donohue

AGHS School Security

Bill Coyle

Administrative Assistant to Safety and Security

Lindsay Broomell

Emergency Preparedness

Standard Response Protocols

It is important that everyone understands and uses common terminology.

For parents, understanding the terminology may ease fears and concerns during an emergency. Avon Grove School District utilizes the standard response protocols (SRP) that were developed in collaboration with the Chester County School Safety Task Force. Schools practice safety procedures throughout the school year to know how to respond to any emergency situation.

Evacuation is considered appropriate for, but is not limited to, situations such as floods, fires, hazardous materials incidents, or other situations that may render the school site unsafe.

Restricted Movement is considered an appropriate response to a situation to clear the hallways to allow first responders' clear access.

Lockdown is considered appropriate for, but not limited to, situations that involve a threat to students and staff.

Shelter in Place is considered appropriate for situations such as hazardous materials releases, nearby fires or tornadoes, or other weather events.

Active Threat / Intruder response is considered appropriate for, but not limited to, situations that involve an intruder within the school who poses an immediate threat to students and staff. This may involve situations of violence and/or weapons.

Navigate360

Visitor Management System
The Avon Grove School District currently uses a visitor management software program at each of its buildings called Navigate360 Visitor Management System. All visitors must present a valid driver’s license or other state-issued identification upon entering a school building. The ID will be scanned and checked against the sexual offender database. There is an option in place for those who might not have a state-issued ID.

Emergency Management Suite
AGSD has implemented Navigate360, Emergency Management Suite, a safety platform application that will allow schools to increase safety standards through tools that provide advanced emergency notifications, improve response, grant staff instant access to safety information, and spread safety awareness. By using Navigate360 Emergency Management Suite as part of our emergency communication and safety protocols, AGSD can obtain a single line of emergency communication that could be accessed by all staff, from any location, and maintain a backup communication channel.

Reunification

Reunification is the process of reunifying the student with their parent/caregiver after an incident has occurred at a school.

This is a critical aspect and will take all students, staff, and parents’ cooperation for it to be successful.

Parents/caregivers should remember not to immediately go to their child’s school if an emergency occurs. Avon Grove School District will contact you with information regarding reunification. Reunification will likely occur off-site and not at your child’s school. Parents should ensure they are getting their information from trusted news sources during an emergency.

Below are some helpful tips if an emergency ever occurs at your child’s school:

Stay calm and aware. Our priority is keeping students safe. Monitor communications sent by the school district via our notifications platform for emergency updates and procedures.

Cooperate with school and/or law enforcement officials. In the case of an emergency, the safety of your child and others will depend upon the ability of school and law enforcement officials to do their jobs. Please cooperate with them by going where they tell you to go.

Be ready to respond to the designated reunification site. If there is an emergency and students are evacuated, parents will be allowed to pick up their children from the designated reunification site. If the school has been declared a shelter-in-place, or a lockdown is necessary, access to the school will be denied.

Be patient when arriving at the reunification site. During an emergency, school personnel will maintain a safe environment for children within the school and/or at the reunification site, remember in some emergency situations the school could likely be the safest place for children.

All parents/guardians will be required to fill out a Reunification Card once they arrive at the site. Also, make sure you have your ID, as this will be required at the reunification site.

Resources for Parents

School safety drills are an important part of helping students and staff prepare for emergencies. Families can play an important role by talking with children about drills in a calm, age-appropriate way. The resources below provide tips for explaining why schools practice, answering questions, addressing concerns, and helping children feel safe and prepared.

Johns Hopkins Medicine

National Association of School Psychologists

The Kids Mental Health Foundation