Safety & Security

A safe school is a place where students can learn and teachers can teach in a warm and welcoming environment. It is a setting where the educational climate fosters a spirit of acceptance and care for every child, where behavior expectations are clearly communicated, consistently enforced and fairly applied.

The Goals of the Souderton Area School District Safety and Security Plan INCLUDE:

• The protection of students and staff.
• The protection of school property.
• The establishment of a climate conducive to learning.

Plan Initiatives

• Safe School Manual
• Crisis Management Guidelines
• Identification Badges
• Visitor’s Pass
• Ongoing Review of Policy
• Anti-Harassment Booklet
• Communication Devices
• Parent Education Forum
• Character Counts! Education
• Character Counts! Sports
• Security Systems for Buildings
• Grant Writing
• CPR, AED First Aid Training
• Safe Homes Program
• Rapid Response
• Initiate “bullying” Curriculum
• Elementary Student Assistance Program

Building Security:

• At the start of the school day until dismissal, exterior doors are locked, with the exception of the main entrance, which is monitored.
• Schools have a procedure to lock classrooms to keep students safe in the event of a crisis.
• Staff members and visitors are required to wear identification badges.
• Schools and teachers have crisis prevention and intervention plans. Each school also has a Safety Committee.
• The Souderton Area School District has a policy and guidelines for direct intervention for students who threaten or who are heard to threaten harm to others or themselves. Any threats of this nature are taken very seriously.
• The district has a cooperative arrangement with the Penn Foundation to provide assessments and assistance to students and families.
• Each school has a team of professionals to offer intervention and referral for students deemed to be at risk. School Counselors, Nurses, Helpline Counselors, Psychologists, Instructional Support Team, Student Support Team, and others provide direct intervention.
• The Souderton Area School District is part of the Character Counts! education project. This is a community-wide/school-wide effort to create a healthier and more loving community for our children and families. The four pillars of Character are: Caring, Honesty, Responsibility and Respect. We encourage all parents and community groups to join in this initiative.

The Safe2Say Something (S2SS) Anonymous Reporting System teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals - especially within social media - of individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and say something BEFORE it is too late.

Use the links below for Safe2Say Something resources:

• S2SS Letter to Parents
• Brochure for Parents: English | Spanish

Committee Membership

• Superintendent & Designee
• Business Manager
• Supervisor of Buildings/Grounds
• Supervisor of Operations
• Supervisor of Food Service
• Building Principal
• Secretary
• Health/Phy. Ed. Teacher
• Elementary Teacher
• Food Service Worker
• Nurse
• Athletic Director
• Parent
• Student
• Police Officer
• Insurance Rep.

Essential Functions of the School Safety Committee

• Help plan and develop in-service opportunities for specific buildings on safe school issues/crisis procedures.
• Identify areas for school safety improvements in each building.
• Communicate and implement district-wide safety initiatives to inpidual buildings.
• Model safe school practices.
• Assist administration in responding to a crisis situation.
• Eliminate the philosophy that “it can’t happen here.” The committee needs to focus on safety and orderly behavior in all schools, at all levels.

For more information about District safety and security, please contact Megan Zweiback, Director of Pupil Services, via e-mail at mzweiback@soudertonsd.org,  or telephone at  215-723-6061.