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Safety & Security
Safe Schools Act
In 1996, the Missouri legislature enacted the Safe Schools Act that mandates strict safety and discipline standards for all public schools in the state, including procedures for issuing some school incident reports to law enforcement officials. The Ritenour School District annually publishes a discipline handbook that includes Safe School Act requirements. District policies, regulations and practices relating to student conduct, disciplinary procedures and consequences are included in the handbook. A discipline handbook is also provided to parents each fall and is available in the school office.
Emergency Response Information Plan
The Ritenour School District has implemented a comprehensive Emergency Response Information Plan, which includes safety/security procedures for numerous situations. We continue to work with local, county and federal officials to update district procedures in the event of an emergency.
Ritenour teachers and staff work hard every day to make sure students feel safe when they are in school. Schools participate in a number of drills every year, including regular fire drills, severe weather drills and intruder drills. Some of the ways the Ritenour School District keeps safety a high priority for students and staff include:
- In 2017, a comprehensive safety assessment was conducted by the Missouri Center for Education Safety. Results of the audit concluded that Ritenour’s policies and procedures are “stellar in the amount of thought and forward thinking consideration.”
- Students and staff participate in 4E (Educate, Evade, Escape, Engage) Intruder Training once a year.
- Each school has a video intercom system at the main entrance where visitors must buzz in and identify themselves before the door is unlocked.
- Intruder alarms and video surveillance are installed in every building.
- Ongoing training with district staff prepares them for multiple hazards, including fires, severe weather, intruders, etc.
- The district meets at least twice a year with local law enforcement agencies to keep current on best practices for safety and security.
- School Resource Officers are posted at each of the secondary schools. Local police officers make daily visits to elementary schools and conduct random walk-throughs.
- Yearly CPR/AED certification training is available for staff members. AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) are located in every school.
- The district’s Safeline – (314) 493-6205 – allows students, staff, parents and community members to report safety or security concerns anonymously 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The safety tip line can also be accessed on our website or through the Ritenour mobile app, which can be downloaded on a smart device by visiting the Apple or Google Play stores.