Today, our nation was shaken by a devastating school shooting in Winder, Georgia. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families, and the entire school community impacted by this tragedy.

In light of this tragic event, we want to reaffirm our commitment to the safety and security of our students and staff. This incident reminds us all of the importance of vigilance and preparedness. We continue our dedication to providing a safe learning environment. We regularly review, practice, and enhance our school safety plans, and invest in purposeful resources to support safety.

• We installed front lobby security systems at all schools. These include a camera doorbell and intercom system to monitor ingress/egress.

• We installed security cameras at various schools and are installing additional cameras and artificial intelligence-enhanced surveillance systems at all campuses. 

• We have strong partnerships with the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach Police Departments that provide School Resource Officers (SROs) to support our schools, and we have increased the number of SROs in recent years.

• We conduct safety drills throughout the year to prepare for various emergency scenarios. 

• We implemented the I Love U Guys" Standard Response Protocol (SRP) [English | Spanish]. The SRP defines the five actions to take in an emergency: hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate, and shelter.

• We partner with WeTip, a 24-hour anonymous reporting system (tip line) through which suspicious activity and safety concerns at secondary schools can be reported via phone, text, and an online form.

• Our schools follow the 'see something, say something' approach which is the best deterrent to potentially harmful situations. 

While we have robust safety plans and procedures, school safety is a shared responsibility. Strong partnerships with local law enforcement and our school community are critical.

We ask for your support in reminding children to take all drills seriously and follow law enforcement, teacher, and staff instructions.

We prioritize safety and continually assess our preparedness, improve our practices, and evolve with the changing times. Thank you for your partnership to maintain a safe learning environment. Please visit our School Safety Webpage for additional information.