• fregeau

    Message to Our Decatur Public School Families……

    From Superintendent Dr. Paul Fregeau

     

    February 27, 2018

    Dear Students, Staff, Families and the Decatur Community,

    It has been a couple of weeks since the tragedy that took place in Parkland, FL and I know it has weighted heavily on the hearts and minds of everyone in District #61. I want to reassure you the security and safety of our students and staff is always our number one priority. This is a responsibility we take very seriously.

    I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our families that we have a plan in place to handle emergency situations. While we cannot share all the details of our school safety plans, it’s important for you to know some general safety measures that are in place to support our schools.

    General Measures:

    • Strong partnership with Decatur’s law enforcement teams and fire/rescue officials
    • District and building crisis manuals and plans
    • Administrative procedures and protocols are defined for crisis situations
    • ParentLink (Robo Call ) notification system for families and staff
    • Regularly scheduled lockdown drills
    • Safety training
    • Building plans/footprints shared with law enforcement and fire/rescue

    Daily Process and Procedures:

    • Alert and aware staff, administration, and central office
    • Active and engaged supervision
    • Strong relationships in buildings with students, staff and families
    • Access control systems (locked doors) at all buildings
    • Surveillance cameras at the main entrances of school buildings
    • Radio systems.

    Additionally, we are currently looking to update our school safety software to enhance emergency preparedness within the district with the use of cell phone technology to include detailed, interactive maps and floor plans of all of our buildings to assist first responders.

    Most importantly, we are attempting to promote a culture where everyone has a responsibility to be vigilant and focused on safety. We ask our parents talk with your children about the importance of being aware and reporting any concerns that could be considered threatening to a responsible adult.

    It falls to each of us to reassure our students and colleagues that we will continue on and stay diligent to keeping our schools safe.

     

    Sincerely,

     Fregeau

    Paul Fregeau, Ed.D.
    Superintendent 
    (217) 362-3010
    PFregeau@dps61.org