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Ongoing Safety Measures at Santa Ana Unified School District

Dear SAUSD Community,

Our entire District is deeply saddened by the school shooting that took place in Texas on Tuesday, May 24. We offer our thoughts to all those families impacted by this senseless attack.

We also want to assure our SAUSD community that the District continues to work to improve school security across all campuses at all times. The safety of our students and staff will always be our top priority. Here are some of the ongoing practices that we have in place to ensure we provide the safest possible learning environment for children:

  • Closed Campuses: All of our campuses are closed off with gates and other security measures during the normal school day. This includes “single points of entry” at most campuses. Any visitor is required to check in before he or she is allowed to enter a campus.
    • All visitors must also provide valid identification for school staff to screen individuals through Raptor software.   
  • Regular emergency drills and training: Schools conduct drills  annually that cover a variety of possible threats on campus, including active shooters, natural disasters and other potential emergencies.
  • Classroom door locks: All classrooms have "Lock Blok" devices that allow teachers to lock doors from the inside in the event of an intruder on campus.
  • Emergency communication systems: Through our ParentSquare platform, schools can send out instant emergency notifications to families via text, voice calls, or email when there is an active threat at a school. 
  • School Police and Safety Officers: The district has its dedicated Santa Ana School Police Department and school safety officers that work on campuses to identify and mitigate threats. 
  • Mental Health, Social Workers, Counselors: A team of mental health professionals work alongside school staff daily to help provide necessary resources for students experiencing bullying, or students who may be experiencing other social and emotional distress to ensure these students receive the appropriate support. SAUSD has among the lowest counselor to student ratios at 250 to 1, and is one of the few districts with social workers on staff.

Additionally, our schools and staff will remain on heightened alert this week as we monitor ongoing events nationally. School Police will have increased patrols across all campuses in SAUSD.   

We also encourage our parents and guardians to help support the social and emotional needs of students at all times, especially following a national tragedy such as the one in Texas. Please see some resources below.

How to help children cope with tragic events
Orange County Department of Education (OCDE)
 
Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting
American Psychological Association
 
Helping children with tragic events in the news
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
 
Coping with tragedy
California Department of Education (CDE)
 
Coping with a disaster or traumatic event
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
 
Find local counseling-related services
CareSolace