Your Child’s Safety is Our Priority: Green Dot’s Response to the Stoneman Douglas Tragedy
Dear Green Dot Parents,
In light of the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, we wanted to share the precautions we take every day to ensure your child’s safety. Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts and condolences go out to the victims of the shooting, and we acknowledge that Wednesday’s tragedy may bring forward many questions for families.
We want to assure you that despite these tragic circumstances, school is still a safe place. Your child’s safety is our top priority. Every Green Dot school has a detailed plan and security protocols that help to maintain the safety of our campuses.
In addition to frequent and rigorous training on security and safety for staff, our deliberate and systematic school cultures are vital. Our schools have a comprehensive visitor check-in and check-out system that is designed to help ensure that no unauthorized person enters campus. We conduct a background check on all visitors and ensure they are escorted by someone from our security team at all times. Campus Security Officers actively supervise hallways throughout the day, and teachers and staff act as an extra pair of eyes in the hallways between all passing periods. We also maintain a strong relationship with the local law enforcement agencies that patrol our neighborhoods.
Though these are the precautions we take every day, the events in Florida remind us just how important it is to be vigilant. We will learn what we can from this recent tragedy and use that information to determine if we need to make any improvements to our existing safety and security protocols.
For students who are having significant reactions to this event, our school counselors and psychologists will be ready to assist. If you or your child is ever concerned about any safety issues, it is important to report it to school personnel and/or to the local police. If you see or hear something, it is important to say something.
Our ongoing partnership with parents and students will help us to continue to foster a safe school community. Thank you for your continued support.