School Safety Information

Dear RPS Families,

As we prepare to start another school year, it is important that you are aware of the safety and security measures in place at Richfield Public Schools.

We believe that safe schools start with a positive school climate and personal relationships with all of our students. That is why we focus on a proactive approach. Our staff members greet and welcome students each morning as they arrive at school, reach out to any students who may need additional support and provide regular social-emotional lessons in their classrooms. 

We also have many everyday safety and security measures in place, including but not limited to, the following:

• Building doors are locked during the school day. Visitors must enter at a central location at each building before being granted access to the hallways. All entrances have been reconfigured to enhance safety as part of the capital facilities improvement project.
• We require staff to wear an identification badge at all times. Upon visitors entering the building, they must show identification and receive a visitor badge that must be worn while on school grounds.
• Staff monitor visitors when they are in our buildings and are instructed that, in the event they observe suspicious activity, they are to question the individual or notify building administrators.
• Security cameras are installed in all RPS schools with Avigilon software to monitor hallways and common areas in buildings. 
• Students and staff participate regularly in a variety of emergency drills, which provide us all with an understanding of responses to various situations. These drills include both evacuation and lockdown/shelter-in-place drills.

While there is no single safety measure that will catch everything, we believe that a comprehensive approach that includes personal relationships and building security is essential to ensuring a safe and positive school environment. 

For those families following the school board meetings for updates on our crisis plan audit, the findings were reported at the Aug.15 meeting. We have already implemented some of the suggestions and will continue to work with Kaufman and Associates to streamline and clarify our Crisis Manual and Postvention Manual to ensure consistent and rapid crisis responses and communication.  

We know that the safety of our children is critical. In addition to the details mentioned above, we also ask for your continued cooperation to alert us to any concerns that arise by reporting them immediately to a school district official or to our colleagues at the Richfield Police Department. If you see or suspect something, say something.

We are grateful for your trust in us and for your continued support.