News Flash

“School safety is our number one priority, students can’t learn if they are not safe,” said DCSD Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen at a news conference today in Castle Rock. “Keeping Douglas County schools safe is a community effort. I am very proud of the DCSD community and value the partnership the district has with law enforcement.”

Parker Police Chief David King, Lone Tree Police, Castle Rock Police and the Douglas County Sheriff joined Fagen to announce a school safety update.

After the tragic events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December of 2012, DCSD officials met with members of the law enforcement community to review current safety plans and make recommendations to improve an already strong program. The result of those meetings was the creation of the DCSD Safety Committee. The Safety Committee has met throughout the spring to develop recommendations.

“The Parker Police Department has worked in partnership with the Douglas County School District for many years instilling the safety of the students, faculty and staff. The School Marshall program is another way that our agency will work with our surrounding law enforcement partners to ensure a safe environment for those in our schools,” Parker Police Chief David King.

“We have a very strong safety program in place for our students. However, we believe in and are committed to continuous improvement. We have learned a lot from recent events. Along with our partners in law enforcement, we are committed to providing the best security to our students and our staff,” continued Fagen.

New school safety measures focus on protocol, deterrence, isolation, screening, and training. All measures are part of a “layered approach” to ensuring safe schools. No single measure can guarantee student safety and DCSD is working with law enforcement to provide a thoughtful, coordinated system in which each element of the system builds upon the next.

Specific measures include building enhancements and the new, innovative School Marshal Program.

The DCSD Safety Committee will continue to meet and review protocols. The School Security Update can be found at https://www.dcsdk12.org/cs/groups/public/@webcomm/documents/dcsdnews/dcs1229173.pdf .

Douglas County School District is Colorado's third largest school district, serving over 63,000 students. Visit the District website at www.dcsdk12.org.