Orcutt Union School District

School Safety

Orcutt Union School District prioritizes the safety of students and staff.

Standard Response Protocol

A school safety guide outlines standard response protocols for various situations.

The Orcutt Union School District is committed to the safety of our students and staff. In line with other educational organizations in Santa Barbara County, we use the Standard Response Protocol for emergencies on or near school campuses.

This Protocol has been adopted by public and private schools, preschools, childcare centers, the Santa Barbara County Education Office, Allan Hancock College, Santa Barbara City College, and UC Santa Barbara. Developed in partnership with local law enforcement, it provides clear and coordinated action steps for schools and emergency responders, ensuring a rapid response when every second counts.

Our students and staff regularly practice the Protocol throughout the school year. These emergency drills help prepare us to respond effectively to various situations, including weather events, fires, earthquakes, accidents, intruders, and other safety threats. We believe that consistent training reduces confusion, panic, and potential injury for both students and staff during an actual emergency.

Parent Handout-English Folleto para padres - Español

Teams Established for Student Safety

The district level multi-disciplinary team meets weekly to review student referrals for resources and supports related behavior and/or social-emotional concerns, risky behavior (threats of harm to self or others), or general concerns with student wellness. This team meets weekly with community partners such as BeWell and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Crisis Intervention Team.
OUSD has been utilizing a tiered system of academic support and intervention for the past several years. Last year the district began to implement MTSS for behavior and social emotional supports as well.
- All school sites currently have a Behavioral MTSS team which meets twice per month to discuss and monitor students with behavior and social emotional concerns
- Team members include: Site Administrator, School Psychologist, School Counselor, Behavior Specialist, OUSD Program Specialist
- Team aligns students with a Tier 2 (or 3) intervention, which can include: Check In Check Out, Counseling (Group or Individual), Self-Monitoring Strategies, Behavior Contracts, Individualized Behavior Intervention Plans
- Increased staff to support student behavior and social emotional needs
  - Each elementary school will have a full time School Psychologist
  - Each elementary school will have a full time School Counselor
  - 3 District Behavior Specialists (each supports 3 school sites)
  - Each elementary school will have a full time Behavior Aide
- Ongoing Support available at all Tiers
  - Tier 1 - coaching from an MTSS team member available to classroom teachers
  - Tier 2 - addition of group counseling to support social skills
  - Tier 3 - Functional Behavior Assessments and Supplemental Support Assessments for students with intense needs
- Additionally, OUSD will be piloting a new De-escalation technique for our SELPA which which teaches staff to safely de-escalate students without the need for physical restraints.
- Committee includes district and site administrators, and Teachers on Special Assignment began meeting 9/2024
- Proactive steps that can be taken to intervene with dysregulated students from a systems lens
  - Site visits to school districts with programs
  - Increasing staffing across district
    - RBTs
    - Counseling
    - School Psychologists
    - SEL Screener
      
      Develop a continuum of supports to use to target student behavior needs (modeled after academic focus folders)
    - SEE Learning Lessons
    - Including structure/routine training for TK/K teachers
    - Developing TK Parent University
      
      5-minute videos with skill sets that promote personal success, including behavioral success

Additional Safety Measures

OUSD has security cameras and appropriate signage on all campuses including district offices as an additional measure to protect our students and staff.

Our security cameras are used to deter criminal activity, discourage negative behavior in the school, have live knowledge of who is on the campus, review archived footage, and give parents and students added peace of mind.
All visitors to our school campuses are required to present a government issued ID and are screened prior to entering campus. If you are visiting campuses, or coming to sign a student out, please be sure to bring your ID with you.
OUSD has the following board policies concerning weapons and drugs.

Weapons and Dangerous Instruments Alcohol and Drugs

Communication During an Emergency

Make sure your contact information is up-to-date. Contact your school to make sure your correct email and phone number are on file. You should be able to log into your Aeries portal and your ParentSquare account.
Schools conduct regular emergency drills including fire, earthquake, lockdown, and evacuation.The purpose of these drills is to not only practice what to do in case of an actual emergency but also to continue to refine our procedures. We partner with local fire and police agencies on these drills.
Each school has designated rally points in case of an emergency requiring evacuation. Parents are notified of these locations at the beginning of the year. This information is also available in the school office.

See Something? Say Something!

Report a threat to student safety, a bullying situation, or any other non-emergency safety concern.

Information submitted will be sent to the school vice principal. While this is not a 24/7 monitoring system, we review reports as quickly as possible when school is in session.

Orcutt Union School District graphic with 'Anonymous Reporting' speech bubbles.