School Safety

School Safety

Safety Overview

School safety is a nationwide focus and an issue we take seriously. Our commitment to creating and maintaining physically- and emotionally-safe learning environments that support the social-emotional and academic excellence of every child is a top priority in the Puyallup School District. We are committed to school safety every single day, not only when a tragedy strikes elsewhere.

Our unwavering and relentless commitment to safety is visible in various ways throughout the district with vigilant staff, secure facilities and strong partnerships with law enforcement agencies. Here are some of our safety and security measures we take as a district to help keep students and staff safe:

     • Emergency Drills: Every month all schools perform emergency drills, which include fire/evacuation, lockdown, earthquake, shelter-in-place and safety-related. Our schools in the Puyallup valley perform a lahar drill annually. Any emergency plan is only as good as the ability of students and staff to execute it, which is why regular drills are paramount in our schools.  

     • Secure electronic entry systems: From a security perspective, the most important function of a door is to control entry. Most schools have either a safety vestibule or secure electronic entry systems into classroom areas. Schools slated for construction will incorporate these features.    

     • School Resource Officers:  The Puyallup School District maintains strong partnerships with Puyallup Police Department and Pierce County Sherriff's Department.  The School Resource Officer Program is dedicated to providing safety and security for staff and students in our schools.

     • Campus Safety Officers: There are two campus safety officers at each high school and one campus safety officer at each junior high school. These district employees help maintain order and discipline, prevent crime, and help investigate violations of school rules and policies.

     • Security Cameras: Security cameras are installed at all of our schools and inside our school buses.

     • Partnerships: Partnerships with law enforcement and emergency management agencies include ongoing conversations and activities such as safety meetings, coordination of emergency drills, staging, risk assessments, trainings and emergency preparedness collaboration.

     • Training and Preparedness: District staff is trained on effective school emergency management and regularly drill as an Emergency Operations Center re-enacting a wide range of possible threats and hazards that may impact a school. Training supports protocols of local emergency management resources and first responders to provide a cohesive, coordinated response in the event of an emergency.  

We all share the responsibility of creating safe learning environments so students can achieve their highest potential. Here’s how you can help:

     • Report any potential threats. If your child sees something that may be a threat at school or online, please report it to your school principal or law enforcement.

     • Make sure your school has up-to-date contact information on file in case we need to notify you about an emergency situation.