School Safety
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Lee's Summit R-7 School District has continuous focus on school safety

Within the Lee's Summit R-7 School District, maintaining a safe learning environment for all students and staff is a constant top priority at each school.

R-7 staff members continuously emphasize emergency and safety measures, procedures and preparations. Parents and students are also encouraged to help keep schools safe by reporting suspicious activities to school staff members.

With the cooperation of local law-enforcement and fire-protection agencies, the school district has implemented a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan that is updated annually. This plan focuses on prevention, preparedness, emergency response and recovery.

All R-7 staff members receive frequent training over these procedures, which cover everything from tornadoes to a crime in progress to a hazardous materials spill.

Students and staff conduct regular drills on a variety of safety procedures, including natural disasters, fires and those related to the possibility of a crime at school. In addition, safety and security audits are conducted at R-7 schools.

Several years ago, the R-7 School District implemented the use of staff identification badges, including photographs, for all employees. Visitor badges are also used at R-7 schools to further ensure safety for students and staff members. Access is limited to schools as much as possible during the school day, and visitors are required to report to the main office. At elementary schools, visitors must be "buzzed in" through a secure entry system.

Each R-7 middle school and high school has a full-time school resource officer. These specially trained officers from the Lee's Summit Police Department help the school with crime prevention and are also available whenever a police officer is needed on the school premises. The school resource officers have been instrumental in implementing a Lee's Summit Schools Campus Crime Stoppers Tips Line. This phone number, 986-1450, offers callers the opportunity to anonymously leave a recorded phone message reporting crimes such as thefts, harassment, bullying, assaults, drugs and weapons violations that occur on school property. School resource officers check the tips line at least once each day. The tips line was initiated with the help of a grant and has proved successful in resolving several incidents.

All elementary and middle schools also offer DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) training, and DARE police officers operate out of the elementary schools on a part-time basis.

In addition to staff training in preparation for school emergencies, district staff members are trained to identify students exhibiting unhealthy behaviors. These students are identified and offered appropriate interventions through a team effort at the schools. As well as training at the district level, a number of R-7 staff members have participated in regional, state and national conferences focusing on school and youth safety and crisis planning.