The ISTD279 school board received detailed presentations on the district's safety and security management programs during a work session Tuesday, highlighting comprehensive approaches to both physical security and student behavior support.

Troy Shriles, director of transportation security and emergency management, outlined the district's three-component safety approach encompassing emergency plans, physical security measures, and personnel. The district has adopted the Standard Response Protocol, a widely-used emergency response system with five protocols: hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate, and shelter. All sites maintain building crisis response teams and conduct required state drills including five evacuation drills, five lockdown drills, and one severe weather drill annually.

Physical security enhancements include single secure entry points, the Raptor visitor management system that screens against national sex offender registries, card access systems for staff, panic buttons, lockdown alerts with blue strobe lights, and enterprise-level camera systems. The district has also implemented behavior threat assessment programs following U.S. Secret Service guidelines, with multidisciplinary teams evaluating students who may pose risks.

Student behavior management was addressed through presentations by building principals who described collaborative approaches involving counselors, social workers, behavior intervention teachers, and student management specialists. The district has shifted incident reporting for grades K-5 to the Synergy system for improved data tracking and has increased professional development training for educational support professionals on behavior management techniques.

The board also received updates on the naming process for the new elementary school under construction in Northwest Maple Grove, with community input being collected through September 11 before a recommendation goes to the September 23 board meeting.