School Safety

 

District Crisis Response Team | Safe Schools Task Force | Unsafe Weather Guidelines | Snow Day Decision Making Process

District Crisis Response Master Plan

When a traumatic event or crisis occurs within the District, the Ann Arbor Public Schools resolves to provide planned, specific intervention. The District will do its best to be prepared to meet the needs of affected individuals during any time of crisis. Every staff person has the potential to perform a task or take a role in the management of such a crisis. This plan will serve to direct and guide there roles and actions.

Crisis response activities are organized around six major goals:

  • safety of all concerned
  • containment of related responses
  • prevention of negative psychological "side effects"
  • maintenance of appropriate school activities
  • coordination of District and site activities
  • timely revision and updating of district and site plans

 

Types of crises to which these procedures apply

The District and/or Site Crisis Response Teams may be activated when any of the following events occur that affect people in the District.

  • Violent incident on school property or at a school sponsored event
  • Impending or threatened incident
  • Deadly or life-threatening accident
  • Vehicular accident
  • Athletic accident
  • Suicide (or serious attempt)
  • Drug-related death
  • Sudden, unexplained death
  • Murder (of staff/student/family-member)
  • Highly visible family tragedy
  • Media publicized disaster (e.g. airplane crash, civil disaster, bombing)
  • Reports of infectious disease or environmental contamination: Rumor control
The resources of the District and/or Site Crisis Response Teams may be utilized to provide longer term support responses in several other situations:
  • Terminal illness
  • Aftermath of suicide attempt: potential for "contagion" or repeat attempt
  • Recovery rehabilitation after serious injury
  • Aftermath of drug overdose


Review the District's Crisis Response Protocol

Safe Schools Task Force

Mission
The Safe Schools Task Force will recommend guidelines, policy and upgrade policies and procedures regarding safe schools and crisis management plans. The focus of the Task Force will be prevention, building response and district response to critical incidents.

Composition
The Safe Schools Task Force is comprised of a representative of each bargaining unit, social workers, psychologists and counselors, law enforcement, Ann Arbor Police Department, Pittsfield Police Department, Fire Department, Administrators from each level, Capital Planning/Environment, Facilities and Systems.

 

Unsafe Weather Guidelines

 

On days when the temperature and/or wind chill are below 0ºF:

Students will not have recess outside

On days when the temperature and/or wind chill are below -20ºF (20 below zero):

Schools will be closed

 
temperature (in degrees fahrenheit)
wind (in miles per hour)
Calm4035302520151050-5-10-15-20-25-30-35-40-45
5 36 31 25 19 13 7 1 -5 -11 -16 -22 -28 -34 -40 -46 -52 -57 -63
10 34 27 21 15 9 3 -4 -10 -16 -22 -28 -35 -41 -47 -53 -59 -66 -72
15 32 25 19 13 6 0 -7 -13 -19 -26 -32 -39 -45 -51 -58 -64 -71 -77
20 30 24 17 11 4 -2 -9 -15 -22 -29 -35 -42 -48 -55 -61 -68 -74 -81
25 29 23 16 9 3 -4 -11 -17 -24 -31 -37 -44 -51 -58 -64 -71 -78 -84
30 28 22 15 8 1 -5 -12 -19 -26 -33 -39 -46 -53 -60 -67 -73 -80 -87
35 28 21 14 7 0 -7 -14 -21 -27 -34 -41 -48 -55 -62 -69 -76 -82 -89
40 27 20 13 6 -1 -8 -15 -22 -29 -36 -43 -50 -57 -64 -71 -78 -84 -91
45 26 19 12 5 -2 -9 -16 -23 -30 -37 -44 -51 -58 -65 -72 -79 -86 -93
50 26 19 12 4 -3 -10 -17 -24 -31 -38 -45 -52 -60 -67 -74 -81 -88 -95
55 25 18 11 4 -3 -11 -18 -25 -32 -39 -46 -54 -61 -68 -75 -82 -89 -97
60 25 17 10 3 -4 -11 -18 -26 -33 -40 -48 -55 -62 -69 -76 -84 -91 -98
              Frostbite occurs in 15 minutes or less

 

The National Weather Service issues a Wind Chill Warning when wind chills are -25 or colder

The National Weather Service issues a Wind Chill Advisory when wind chills are -15 or colder.

How Does The Ann Arbor Public Schools Make a "Snow Day" Decision?

Throughout the evening weather conditions are monitored via Internet, TV, radio, and an informal network of other transportation directors throughout the area.   If warranted a call is made to the district's snow routes team to go into action.

By 3 AM, a team of transportation supervisors and senior drivers meet with the director of transportation at the transportation terminal. Each of these 4 individuals is a highly experienced driver, with many years behind the wheel of a school bus.

By 3:15 A.M., they're on the road in 4 different buses.

Over the next hour or so, the buses will follow 4 predetermined routes to the 4 corners of the district.  The drivers radio back comments from locations along the route, which are recorded in the dispatch center.   At the same time, the director of transportation will be fielding more cell calls from the other districts.  (Other local districts seems to want to know what Ann Arbor is going to do before they make their decision!)

Our team will drive well-lit city avenues, the interstate highway, and some remote gravel roads.  They'll stop and walk the sidewalks at  schools, and check the conditions in subdivisions and neighborhoods.

By 4:00 A.M. the drivers will report back to the transportation terminal.  Each driver will be polled and record their perceptions.  The only question is "Can we safely open school, and get them back home?"

One last tour of the cell phone circuit to other schools, and then it's time to wake up the Superintendent.  The Superintendent will be presented with a recommendation based on all input and evidence.  After reviewing all the information the Superintendent makes the final decision.

This is the process used to determine the viability of the area roads to deliver AAPS students safely to and from school.