Bay school district talks about campus safety and highlights new security measures
Bay District Schools wants parents and students to know that safety is a top priority.
During the past three years the district has made considerable security improvements to local schools, said Vern Barth, BDS director of school safety, during a Thursday news conference. This includes requiring entry through one monitored space, installing more cameras around campuses and working with the transportation department to create further safety precautions for arrival and dismissal of students.
Aside from physical safety measures such as school resource officers and relationships with law enforcement, BDS is making technology a focus in its security initiatives.
Two of the crucial tools, Everbridge and Peach Jar, which issue alerts to parents, are integrated with the FOCUS parent portal. Barth said that if parents want to receive updates and alerts, they need to make sure their contact information is current in the parent portal.