We are making a change for the 2022/2023 school year.

We as a district partnered with ALICE back in 2018 to implement their active shooter response protocol. All faculty and staff completed the trainings, and small-scale drills were starting during the 2019/2020 school year.

The COVID pandemic derailed those efforts when the schools closed down in March of 2020, along with many other things as we all know!

Over the last 2 years, we have been reviewing our overall safety response through our safety teams, and also district-wide in a comprehensive approach with our 3 Chiefs of Police. As outlined in the link to the left (or above on 3 line menu in mobile), we are shifting to the Standard Response Protocol for all school-wide emergencies. As part of this review, we collectively decided to move away from the ALICE approach, and will instead be implementing the University of Texas' Avoid, Deny, Defend active shooter response AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE Standard Response Protocol.

At the core of this decision was our collective belief that the ADD response builds on the strengths that we learned by implementing the ALICE model, but that it provides a far more simplified and effective response plan for schools. The investment of time and resources in the ALICE training was not wasted, as the ADD approach builds on all the same principles, but simplifies them into 3 basic responses. If possible, avoid the threat. If you cannot, then do anything and everything to deny access of that threat to your location. If you have no other options, take any and all steps necessary to defend yourself and those around you. There are obviously many nuances to the reality that a situation would present, but we believe the ADD approach best equips students and staff to be prepared to keep themselves and others safe.

More information will be provided over the course of the 2022/2023 school year, including updates on planning, drills, and opportunities for parents and guardians to attend information sessions.