LEBANON — The Lebanon Community School Corporation has several measurements in place to keep students safe at school.
The district reviews and updates their school safety plan on a monthly basis, and two recent additions aim to further enhance security.
The latest addition is the securement of entrances at all schools in the district.
According to Michael Reynolds, Assistant Principal at Lebanon High School, the exterior doors were always locked; but now, visitors will be required to take extra steps to gain access to the building.
The only way to enter the building during school hours is through the main entrance. Guests must ring a doorbell and state the reason for their visit in front of a camera. If allowed inside, guests will only have access to enter the office; doors leading into areas of the school where students are located remain locked.
Once inside the office, guests' driver's licenses are scanned through a program called Raptor, which runs a quick background check.
"So nobody gets into the school that has something on their background that should not allow them into the school,” Reynolds said.
Also new this year is the addition of a school resource officer at each school. Several of the officers have old police vehicles that were donated by the city of Lebanon and the city of Whitestown.
The district also has extensive surveillance camera networks at each of their schools. At Lebanon High School, for example, there are cameras both inside and outside of the building.
Along with these security measures, the district also follows the Standard Response Protocol. Students K-12 are taught and drilled on 5 terms; lockdown, lockout, shelter, evacuate and hold.
- Lockdown: Get inside and lock the doors. Students are taught to stay inside the classroom and its business as usual.
- Lockout: Locks, lights, out of sight. Students are told to move out of sight, stay quiet and do not open the door.
- Shelter: This is for hazard and safety in emergencies like tornadoes, earthquakes or hazmat situations. Teachers lead students to shelter areas.
- Evacuate: Students are told to leave their belongings and follow their teacher to a safe location.
- Hold: Students are told to clear the halls and stay in classrooms. Teachers close and lock the doors and its business as usual.
Another resource for students and parents is the Lebanon schools app, which launched last year. In addition to standard features like calendars and push notifications, the app contains a tip line that allows students, teachers, parents or community members to send in tips. A tip can include photos, screenshots and locations, and can be submitted anonymously or with a name.
Jen Todderud, Communications Director for the district, says the school also has a tip line outside of the app where tips can be texted or called in.
"It goes directly to our school police department where the tip is then investigated,” Todderud explained.
District staff says the app is just one more way to ensure students feel safe in their schools.
"It's our number one priority here in the building and I know it's the number one priority in our community to have a safe and secure environment for our children,” said Reynolds.
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