A positive school climate fosters youth development and academic achievement, as well as the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for students to be responsible and productive members of society. All learners want and need to be safe and happy, to be supported, cared for, valued, appropriately challenged and engaged in ways that support them to reach their maximum potential.

The CPS Safety and Crisis teams work to develop and implement protocols to keep students and staff safe. CPS has a safety committee that meets four times a year to include parents, law enforcement, and local first responders, teachers, administrators, mental health professions, custodians, school nurses, local emergency managers, Information Technology managers, school transportation personnel, and students. This committee reviews the district safety plan to update procedures and resources. CPS has a team of professionals supporting students and staff such as our Suicide Intervention Team, Threat Assessment Team, Crisis Teams, and School Resource Officers.

A critical ingredient in the safe school recipe is the uniform classroom response to an incident at school. The Crete Public Schools uses the Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by school and district administration and staff. Each school conducts safety drills so that students and staff can learn the procedures and the Safety Team can identify areas to improve. There are four specific actions that can be performed during an incident.

• When you hear it. Do it!
• Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out of Sight
• Lockout! Secure the perimeter
• Evacuate! To announced location
• Shelter! Tornado, Hazmat, Earthquake, . . .
• Standard Response Protocol - Spanish and English

When a school is in a crisis situation, parents are asked to stay away so that first responders can work. Parents are encouraged to follow district media for information updates and how to connect with students. The Crete Public Schools safety and crisis protocols have been reviewed and recognized as outstanding by the Nebraska Department of Education.

For further information regarding the Crete Public Schools Crisis Response Plan, please contact Mr. Brent Cole, District Crisis Manager. Mr. Cole can be reached at 402.826.5822 or brent.cole@creteschools.org.