In public schooling of any kind, safety of the students and employees is the utmost priority. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, students received an email regarding a false rumor about a threat to Valley. The incident was brought to attention and immediately investigated by the school administrators.
They found that there was no credible evidence, but the alleged threat was a reminder of how danger should be reported and the methods that are put into place to prevent anything bad from happening.
The Safe2Talk app is an efficient way to quickly alert the administrative staff of any concerns. It is an app that allows students, or anyone in the school system, to anonymously report their worries.
“Sometimes it’s concerns about vaping, sometimes it’s drugs, sometimes a rumor of an altercation either that has occurred or will occur between kids,” the Loudoun Valley High School Administrative Team stated. “So it goes out to administration, safety and security, sheriff’s department.”
One thing Valley goes by is “see something, say something.” There are posters plastered around the school with the phrase, but what exactly does it entail?
“So once we receive such an accusation or piece of information, then we normally meet as a team and we identify what our next steps are gonna be,” the team stated.
To prevent incidents from happening in the first place, the school makes sure it’s clear who exactly is being let into the building.
“All guests and visitors have to check in, providing their state issued license, and it goes through a system called Raptor, that provides a quick background screen to confirm visitors,” the team said. “They’re then issued a pass that has their ID picture to confirm that they are permitted to be in the building.”
The team also stated that there are new cameras installed in the building that give more visibility over more areas, and that new door systems were put in place a couple years ago.
In addition, there are three safety and security specialists who constantly check interior and exterior doors, along with restrooms and the cafeteria. There is also a student resource officer.
“Before they even walk in the door, they have to show their picture to the camera, which records either student ID or driver’s license if it’s an adult,” the administrative team said.
Additionally, the school has a “security operation center” which is staffed 24/7.
“They monitor cameras, phone calls, messages, across the entirety of the district and they collaborate directly with schools if a concern arises, alongside with law enforcement partners,” the team said.
If anyone were to somehow enter the school unregistered, there are measures that would be put into place.
“During the school day, we have holds,” the team said. “We got lockdowns, etc. So those would be our immediate things, while law enforcement figures out what needs to be done.”
It’s not just for public schools either, as it’s used around the county.
“That is a model that we use in collaboration with local partnering law enforcement agencies,” the team said. “So it’s not just schools that are being asked to see something and then say something, it’s anybody within the Loudoun community.”