GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: The video above is about parents' concerns coming into the 2022-23 school year.
Students have less than two weeks until they return to school in Gwinnett County, and the district said they are prepared with a few new safety initiatives.
“As a school district, we have a responsibility to ensure that each and every one of our students maximize their potential, and that means making sure our schools are safe, secure and successful,” Dr. Al Taylor said, GCPS Chief of Schools.
Changes for visitors
The biggest change is meant to strengthen their visitor management process. According to the district, this year, visitors will have their identification screened against the National Sex Offender Registry through their Raptor system.
All visitors must show a US government-issued ID when entering the school. The district said to enter the school during school hours, visitors must use the doors near the office, "which are locked until the visitor is granted access."
Once visitors are checked through the system, they will be given a badge to wear that says their name, date, and reason for visiting.
Those dropping off items in the office or picking up paperwork won't be given a badge, according to the district.
More School Resource Officers
The school district also hired 98 new school resource officers with plans to make more hires.
"We will begin the 2022-23 school year with 98 certified, sworn law enforcement officers with plans to hire more this school year," Taylor said. "These dedicated men and women provide on-site support for our students, staff, and community."
The SROs are all over the district, "two SROs at every high school, one SRO at every middle school, and several are located at elementary schools," Gwinnett County said.
School Resource Officers in Gwinnett County serve their home school and other school facilities around them. The district said SROs work to educate students and staff on safety issues and implement/update safety plans.
Anonymous Tip Line
Call or text the Gwinnett County Public Schools tip line at 770-822-6513 to report any information regarding school safety.
"If you think that someone is carrying a weapon, drugs, or alcohol on school property, or if you believe that you have been the target of violence or threat of violence or have witnessed violent or threatening conduct by another person, please call or text the tip line," the district said.
GCPS SchoolMessenger
This is the sixth year that Gwinnett County will use its SchoolMessenger system. It alerts parents of emergencies, closings and other information regarding safety and attendance for students.
To subscribe to the system, the district said to text “SUBSCRIBE” to the number 67587. If you've already subscribed in a previous year, there's no reason to do so again.
GCPS said parents should verify their contact information is correct at the beginning of the year since that's what's used for "emergency and non-emergency notifications by phone, email and text using SchoolMessenger."
Messages will come from 1-844-248-6644; the district encourages parents and guardians to save this number to their contacts.
Emergency Management Plan 2022-23
The Gwinnett County Office approved the emergency plan for the upcoming school year of Emergency Management. The district said plans for each district building were reviewed by school and district leaders.
"We believe that a balanced combination of proactive and responsive safety measures such as these help us provide a supportive and safe environment while focused on our core business, teaching and learning," Taylor said.
These plans ensure a quick response by public safety partners if a crisis ever occurs. GCPS said they have a reunification plan to evacuate "students can be evacuated to a safe place where they can reunite with their families."