Olney Independent School District

Safety and Security

A headshot of Gunter Rodriguez, Director of Safety and Security.

At Olney ISD, we are dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for the students, staff and visitors on our campus. In order to support that commitment, we have a comprehensive emergency operations plan that addresses emergency mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery procedures relevant to natural and human-caused disasters.

The plan is updated annually, reviewed by staff as well as emergency response personnel, and shared with campus and department staff, and with other individuals who may have a role in the event of an emergency. The plan prepares our staff and students for action and establishes teams, chains of command, and specific steps to take in an emergency situation. We are ready to provide for the safety and security of your children and others if the need ever arises.

As part of the plan, our campus practices fire, evacuation, reverse evacuation, exterior lock-down, full lock-down, safe shelter and bad weather drills throughout the year. This allows our district administrators to be sure that faculty/staff and students know the correct procedures in the event of an emergency.

Additionally, at Olney ISD, we are in partnership with local law enforcement agencies who provide a school resource officer for our campus.

A portrait of Devin Wright, a School Safety Officer, wearing a police uniform.

A thin red line with the text 'Programs to Ensure School Safety' on a white background.

As a district, we have several programs in place to ensure schools are safe, including:

Emergency response district safety committee and campus safety teams
Cameras
ID badges for employees as well as visitors while on district property
Visitor check-in software
Emergency operations plans
School resource officer
Safety drills

A thin pink line with the text 'Message to Parents' centered on a white background.

There are specific ways parents and others in the community can help ensure campus safety at Olney ISD, including:

Enter and exit the building through the main entrance when visiting a campus.
Always sign in at the front office to ensure that parents and other visitors are properly identified.
Leave entrances and exits locked at all times. Exterior doors should not be propped open.
Continue to be timely in picking up your child after school and after school functions so as not to leave the child waiting outside for a ride.

A thin, horizontal line with the text 'In Emergency Situations' centered on it.

Listen to your local television/radio stations and check the district website www.olneyisd.net for information.
As soon as possible, the district will activate its emergency alert system through ParentSquare explaining the situation to you. Please read the message carefully. Please do not call the schools. There will be limited personnel available to answer phone calls from parents and phone lines may become overextended. Calling the school will tie up the phone lines and disrupt the flow of vital information between the school and authorities.
When schools are in lock-down/out, please do not come to the school. A lock-down/out is designed to keep the children and staff inside the building away from harm. Entrances to the school are to be kept locked during this time.
If your child reports to you that a drill took place at his/her campus that day, please take the opportunity to discuss the importance of drills and safety precautions.
In the event of an emergency, students will be released to their families as soon as it is safe to do so. Local response personnel will determine when it is safe for the schools to begin releasing students. Only an authorized person as noted on the student forms on file in the school office will be able to pick up your child. A driver’s license or other form of photo I.D. must be shown before staff can safely release your child. Note that in the event of an emergency, phone calls authorizing a student’s release to a person other than a parent or name on file will not be accepted.
If the need arises to implement these safety protocols, cooperating with campus personnel in a calm manner will ensure safe and timely release for students.
Updated address and phone numbers – Please notify your child's campus office staff with any changes in address, home phone number, cell phone and office numbers. We want to keep our parents informed of any emergency situations.