TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Willcox Unified School District returns to school on Aug. 10, and school officials are planning for a safe school year.
Superintendent Kevin Davis said this year, a new addition to the safety plan is to include parents.
“We can be more successful, should we have a need to evacuate, reunify, whatever the emergency will be, parents in the community need to be involved,” he said.
District Safety Director Farbod Safavi said keeping parents in the loop is not new. The difference is in the approach this year.
“Parent communication is something we definitely have done, but we’re sending out pre incident letters to families that just kind of lays a little bit about what we expect from families in the community and what they can expect from us in case there is an emergency,” said Safavi.
Safavi said there will also be updated training for bus drivers coming into the district starting next week.
“If they have students on their buses or if we need to use bus drivers in any kind of emergencies, everyone’s aware of their roles there,” he said.
Superintendent Davis said in addition to the new protocol, the plan is to continue what the district is already doing.
“We always train new staff in A.L.I.C.E. protocols, which that stands for alert, lockdown, inform, counter, and evacuate. And then we will continue training existing staff in that,” he said.
The district will also continue utilizing an app called Navigate 360 to improve communication during emergencies.
Both school officials suggest parents bring any questions or concerns to them, or to the upcoming parent night planned for next month.
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Reyna Preciado is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2022 after graduating Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Reyna by emailing reyna.preciado@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
