Portage Township Schools will implement a new school safety initiative for the 2018-2019 school year that takes a proactive approach to keeping all students safe.
The seven-part Comprehensive, Collaborative Approach to School Safety calls for new collaborations with local law enforcement and mental health agencies while retaining current plans that work in order to maintain save environments in all of the school buildings. PTS will continue to participate in the One County, One Protocol plan. Developed by the Porter County School Safety Commission, One County, One Protocol plans for all schools and first responders in the county to address emergencies, from active shooters to fires, in the same way.
The One County, One Protocol plan has lead to the redevelopment of the PTS School Resource Officer program. In order to cover all 11 school buildings, PTS will employ several part-time officers to provide full-time coverage to our high school, middle schools, and elementary schools. Officers from the Portage Police Department, Porter County Sheriff’s Department, and the Indiana State Police will be invited to apply for these positions. Because PTS schools reside in different jurisdictions, including the city of Portage and unincorporated Porter County, this new SRO program will introduce the students to the law enforcement agencies that serve them.
PTS will continue to host Restorative Justice groups within the schools. These groups are peer-mediated and allow students the time to talk, ask questions, and air their grievances. The Restorative Justice groups have had a positive impact on school safety by reducing instances of bullying and student conflicts.
The addition of three new pieces of technology will further enhance safety both within and outside of our schools. In addition to the bullying hotline currently in place, PTS will add an anonymous reporting digital tip line, which will allow students to privately report perceived threats online. Staff members and local law enforcement officials will also receive access to the Guard 911 and Hero911 apps. Guard 911 allows school staff members to report a threat in the building with the push of a button via the downloaded app. An alert will be sent to all law enforcement agencies, fellow staff members, and nearby schools. All local law enforcement officials and officers with the Hero911 app will receive the alert via that app, allowing them to respond to the school as soon as possible. PTS will also install Securly, a program that monitors accounts of bullying, self-harm, and threats, on all school-issued devices. The program will alert school counselors, members of the District Safety Team, and School Resource Officers of any possible threats made online, allowing these individuals to take the appropriate action and continuously evaluate the school safety plan.
In an effort to provide more comprehensive counseling services to our students and families, PTS is requesting proposals from mental health providers to offer clinical assessments, individual and family therapy, medication management, on-site training and consultations, and day treatment as an alternative to suspension or expulsion. PTS and the mental health provider will offer these services to all of our students, regardless of their ability to pay.
The safety and security of our students is a top concern for Portage Township Schools. Through the new and proactive Comprehensive and Collaborative Approach to School Safety, PTS students will have safe and productive learning environments every day.