Mission Statement

The safety and security of students, educators, and staff are of the utmost importance in our school district. I recognize the need to have a comprehensive approach to addressing all forms of violence, including sexual violence and physical violence. This approach is needed to address potential threats that may endanger the school community. Therefore, we must develop safety policies proactively. Some of my commitments to improving school safety are:

Prevention

• We will conduct regular training for all students, educators, and staff on violence prevention, including sexual violence, gun violence, and other potential threats.
• We will establish a reporting system for students, educators, and staff to report any suspicious behavior, threats, or incidents in a safe way. This will ensure the safety and security of the school community and that the school board is aware of these incidents immediately. 
• We will foster a safe and welcoming school environment that promotes respect, tolerance, and diversity.
• We will enforce a crisis response plan that includes regular drills and exercises to ensure that everyone knows exactly what to do in the event of an emergency. Firearms are the leading cause of death in the United States. We must be prepared for any emergency.
• We will establish a safety advocacy committee that would provide oversight and input from educators, students, and parents to the school board in order for the board to adapt to the ever-changing threats within our society. 

Intervention

• We will take all reports of suspicious behavior, threats, or incidents seriously and investigate them promptly and thoroughly.
• We will work with law enforcement agencies to prevent and investigate incidents of gun violence, sexual violence, and other forms of violence in our schools.
• We will provide appropriate support and resources for victims of violence, including counseling, medical care, and legal assistance. We should have a team of peer specialists working in our schools to offer extra support.

Accountability

• We will hold all students, educators, and staff accountable for their behavior and actions that may threaten the safety and security of the school community.
• We will establish clear disciplinary procedures for students, educators, and staff who engage in violent behavior or violate the school safety policy.
• We will regularly review and update the school safety policy to ensure that it remains effective and relevant to the current threats facing the school community.

My vision is for our district to become leaders in K-12 education. Financial literacy and an understanding of mental health are two critical skills that are essential for students to navigate the challenges of modern life successfully. Therefore, introducing financial literacy and mental health education to the existing district curriculum standards can benefit students in various ways.

Our school district should develop a comprehensive financial literacy and mental health education curriculum. This will be integrated into existing courses such as math, social studies, health, and physical education.

The financial literacy curriculum would include essential topics such as budgeting, saving, investing, understanding credit and debt, and other practical skills related to financial literacy. The mental health curriculum would cover topics such as stress management, self-care, and mental health disorders.

This curriculum would benefit students by providing them with the tools they need to be financially responsible and take care of their mental health in a healthy way. It would also ensure that students are better prepared to navigate the challenges of modern life, which would ultimately improve their long-term academic success and personal well-being.

During inclement weather, many students who walk to school are at risk of getting sick or injured due to the harsh weather conditions and have lower attendance rates. By reducing the walker boundary from 2 miles to a half mile or less from their school, the school district can ensure that more students have access to transportation to and from school during inclement weather.

This policy would benefit students, particularly those who do not have access to transportation during harsh weather conditions, such as heavy rain, snow, and extreme temperatures. It would also provide more equitable access to transportation, especially for students who do not have access to a private vehicle or who cannot afford transportation. My vision is to:

• Ensure student safety: The school district will prioritize student safety during inclement weather conditions, especially those who walk to school. By reducing the walker boundary, the district can ensure that more students have access to safe and reliable transportation to and from school.

• Increase attendance rates: By providing transportation for more students, the school district can increase attendance rates during inclement weather conditions. This is particularly critical for students who live further away from school or who do not have access to a private vehicle.

• Promote equity: The school district will provide more equitable access to transportation during inclement weather conditions, especially for students who do not have access to a private vehicle or who cannot afford transportation.
  

As part of the implementation of the transportation policy, the district will allocate funds and resources to support its implementation during inclement weather conditions. The policy will be communicated to parents, students, and school staff, and will be implemented across the district.

Board members should establish a transportation committee and work with transportation providers to ensure that there are enough buses and drivers to transport students during inclement weather. The district will also ensure that the buses are equipped with proper safety equipment and that drivers are trained to operate the buses safely in harsh weather conditions.

It is the responsibility of the transportation committee to evaluate its transportation policy on an ongoing basis. This will include collecting data on student attendance rates, transportation utilization rates, and other relevant metrics. Evaluation results will be used to improve the policy and ensure that it meets the needs of students and families.