Ten Schools, Three Districts, One Community of Learners
The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough place school safety and preparedness as its highest priority. The District takes a comprehensive approach to school safety by focusing on prevention, education, safe school facilities, and school disaster management. At the foundation of this approach is a belief that school safety and preparedness centers upon programs, policies, and practices that improve school safety and climate, focus on the school environment, and enhance educational and other outcomes for students and schools.
This work requires a community effort and collaboration with safety officials, mental health care organizations, parents and guardians, town officials, and citizens. The District partners with Northborough and Southborough safety officials and participates in emergency management training and workshops offered at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), federal, state, and local levels. The District’s protocols and practices are based on research and recommendations from safety officials at multiple levels. It takes a collaborative effort to ensure students attending The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough are socially, emotionally, and physically safe.
Safety practices that the District will continue to implement:
The District requires all visitors to our schools to identify themselves whenever they request access to our school facilities. All visitors are required to sign in at the office and wear a school-issued visitor's badge.
Our District partners with Sandy Hook Promise Organization and its Say Something training and tools. Say Something is an education and awareness program that provides tools and practices for our middle and high school students to:
• Recognize the signs and signals of a potential threat, especially in social media;
• Educate and instill in students how to take action; and
• Drive awareness and reinforce the need to Say Something.
The District embraces Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE) protocols to maximize school safety readiness. More information about our safety process
review, ALICE, and other resources are available on the District website. Members of our Safety Readiness Team are formal "Train the Trainers," and all students and staff participate in multiple drills to ensure that everyone is familiar with the ALICE options.
School Safety Presentation