Emergency Situations and Communication
During emergency situations, we work to gather factual information as quickly as possible to send messages out to our families and staff. On occasion, the first information posted on non-district social media is from a non-official source. For example, a student texts a parent about an emergency and then the parent posts the text on Facebook, and the post is then shared by other parents, etc. This can be a problem and lead to worry among families. So why does it take longer for the school district to send out an official message?
- Gathering facts: When an emergency happens, the school(s) and the district strive to communicate factual information to the public as quickly as possible. But, as no two situations are alike, oftentimes there are details we need to verify. This can involve talking to multiple parties (such as the police or fire department, or families directly involved with the emergency) and this information-gathering phase takes time.
- Limited on what we can share: Depending on the situation, there are times we are limited on the details we can share. This could be due to privacy laws or due to an active law enforcement investigation. It is not our intention to seem vague when we say “We are unable to share specifics regarding XYZ.”
- Getting the message out: Once we have the message ready to send, we activate various communication channels.
What should you do during an emergency situation?
1. Follow the instructions given in our message. This might include an alternate pick-up location for your student, or a change to the schools’ dismissal times.
2. Help keep the schools’ phone lines open by not calling in and asking for additional information. We will send updates through the above channels.
3. To help cut down on misinformation in the community, share the district’s message with local friends and neighbors.
Lastly, please make sure your contact information is always up to date in Skyward/Family Access. Your email address and phone number listed in Skyward/Family Access are the ones we use when sending out our message.
We value your partnership as we work to keep you informed. Thank you!
