Board of Education Update: School Safety in MCPS

The Board of Education heard an update on safety efforts in MCPS schools during its April 16 Work Session. Staff shared work concerning strengthening safety through training, school safety audits and technology, along with data showing improvements and ongoing challenges. Feedback from a recent student, staff and family survey also highlighted a need for greater visibility and communication around safety efforts.

What We’ve Done:
MCPS has taken important steps to strengthen school safety, including implementing the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) in all schools this past year, completing school safety audits, expanding staff training on emergency preparedness, and upgrading security technology, such as cameras and sensors.

What the Data Show:
Recent data reflects a mixed picture. Physical altercations are decreasing, while drug-related incidents have increased. Survey results also show that while many families, staff and administrators view the Community Engagement Officer (CEO) program positively, a large percentage report they “do not know” enough about its impact, indicating a need for greater visibility and communication.

What’s Next:
MCPS will continue to strengthen post-serious incident reunification planning, expand staff training, launch digital mapping to support emergency response during a crisis and explore additional detection technologies.

Resources:

• Watch the presentation.
• See the presentation slides.