Operation #SAFEdragon Coming Soon to Carroll ISD

The Carroll ISD Board of Trustees approved Phase 1 of Operation #SAFEdragon at their meeting on June 24. This program will begin making improvements to campus safety as soon as possible.

The goals of Operation #SAFEdragon (Safety Awareness For Every Dragon) are to 1) improve safety and security within Carroll ISD; 2) fortify facilities; 3) promote emergency preparedness among students and staff; 4) put plans in place to restore CISD activities as soon as possible after an emergency; and 5) provide crisis support to students and staff. Under the umbrella of Operation #SAFEdragon, School Resource Officers (SROs) on every campus and drug and alcohol surveys for the middle school and high school campuses have already been approved. The SROs at every campus are being funded by Southlake’s Crime Tax.

Once implemented, Operation #SAFEdragon will benefit every CISD campus, facility and department. When looking at the changes proposed, the Board asked Administration to prioritize the program into phases. Trustees agreed June 24 to fund Phase 1 projects using existing budgets and/or an intent to reimburse Fund Balance.

In addition to the safety strategies listed below, Carroll ISD will be adding an online volunteer application as well as the eTrak Pilot Program.

Currently, CISD satisfies the law by running all volunteers through the RAPTOR system. In order to further promote student safety, all volunteers will now be required by CISD to submit an application for approval to volunteer in CISD schools. This application will be an easy online process where volunteers will read the Volunteer Handbook and policies before consenting to a background check. The entire process will be completely confidential, and the campuses will only receive a list of approved volunteers. CISD anticipates that most volunteer applications will be approved without restrictions or denials. This volunteer policy in no way affects a parent’s ability to visit the campuses, but only those wishing to volunteer. Please watch for additional information regarding the approval process and how to complete the application.

Carroll ISD will also be introducing the eTrak Pilot Program which will be used to increase staff communication in the event of a crisis. Under this program, CISD will be using 100 eTrak devices, which are small enough to wear on a keychain or fit in a pocket. In this trial run, these devices will be placed in the hands of a few teachers and administrators at each of the campuses and will send a GPS signal to constantly track the device and its owner’s location. When the button on the device is pressed, it will send an emergency signal to local law enforcement dispatchers and school officials, instantly pulling up the exact location of the emergency. As the first school district in the area to use this technology, CISD aims to increase communication and decrease response time in the event of an emergency or disaster.

Phase 1 will also include:

• Student ID key swipes for both high school campuses
• High School shuttle bus surveillance cameras
• New elementary school fencing around playground areas
• A second RAPTOR sign-in station at each campus
• Pre-set text messaging system for parent and staff updates
• Additional directive signage at campus entrances and exits
• Playground monitoring protocols for staff
• High school Crimestoppers program
• CISD safety hotline and website
• Talk About It, an anti-bullying project for grades 5^th-12^th
• Back-to-school safety fair for parents (See coming Safety Fair article for more info)
• Safety training for staff
• Mass-gathering procedures for high-traffic events
• Communication of CISD’s infectious diseases protocols
• Continued community safety education
• An online school safety survey
• Crisis cards for each classroom and employee
• Safety tip sheets for staff and parents

All of these strategies will be implemented to make Carroll ISD a safer and more prepared district for students and staff. To learn more about Operation #SAFEdragon, how CISD is handling school safety and what you can do to help, attend the Carroll ISD Safety Fair on Wednesday, August 21 from 4-6 p.m. at Carroll High School. This event will be held in conjunction with the Southlake Departments of Public Safety, and more information will be given as the date approaches.