GREAT FALLS — As students return to classrooms across Great Falls, school safety remains a top priority for parents, students, and faculty members who face daily challenges protecting children both inside and outside school buildings.
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Crossing guard Gary Schoenthal at Lincoln Elementary School says the biggest challenge he faces is preventing accidents in school zones.
"Probably the biggest challenge is not getting run over. People don't understand. When the signs up, you have to stop," Schoenthal said.
Schoenthal recommends drivers reduce their speed significantly when traveling through school zones, even below posted limits.
"Even though the speed limits are 25, I don't recommend anything more than 15. When you're around the school, and even a couple blocks from the school, just gotta keep your speeds down kids are just you never know what they're going to do," he said.
Detective Sergeant Katie Cunningham, who oversees Great Falls school resource officers, emphasizes the importance of planning ahead during school drop-off and pickup times.
"The more people can plan ahead, to take a little extra time to get their kids to school and drop them off in a safe manner, the better it is for everybody so that they're being more cognizant of the foot traffic around them," Cunningham said.
While Great Falls has not experienced a school shooting like other parts of the country, crossing guards play an important role in overall school security.
"We've seen all the school shootings. We're kind of the first line of defense. We're the eyes and ears of the school. We hear everything. We see everything. If there's some suspicious person we're watching, you know, and we report it," Schoenthal said.
School faculty members have also received comprehensive training to respond to potential threats.
"All of our school staff has been trained on armed intruder response, so they know how to respond if an active shooter kicks off to wherever they are. They know what their options are for escape. Options are for fighting or options for barricading," Cunningham said.
School resource officers undergo extensive preparation for emergency situations.
"Every patrolman goes through an active shooter response. So they have trained with force on force stress inoculation scenarios on how to respond if an active shooter kicks off in a school building. So we're extremely prepared for that in case that were to ever happen here," Cunningham said.
GFPS safety procedures if there is an emergency:
- Evacuation: Defined as an internal emergency that requires students and staff to leave the building for their safety. Parents should follow emergency notifications.
- Lockdown: Defined as an internal and/or immediate threat. All staff and students are locked in rooms. No one IN or OUT!
- Shelter In Place: Defined as a safety precaution for an external threat that is not an immediate or internal threat.
- Class Hold: Defined as a safety precaution implemented during an incident where students need to be kept in the classroom.
Release with Care: Defined as a possible threat in the schools’ neighborhoods during arrival and release time. Release with care procedures:
- To ensure safety, the building administrator may ask staff to escort students to/from buses or waiting cars.
- Staff may also be asked to accompany students home.
Student safety: walking to/from school
- Students should walk in groups or pairs
- Students should travel on a designated route, and parents should know the route their student is taking
- Students should check in with a responsible individual when they arrive at home
- Students should be taught to always be aware of their surroundings
- Students should avoid alleys on their designated route to/from school
- Students should walk on designated sidewalks and in well-lit areas
- Parents should notify the school when after-school procedures change
Click here to visit the Safety page on the GFPS website for more information.
GFPS also provides the following information about emergencies:
Unfortunately, there is always the potential of unforeseen emergencies such as threats, natural disasters (earthquakes, floods, tornadoes), hazardous material breaches (chemical spills, gas leaks, refinery accidents), and unpredictable weather. While the potential exists, all students, parents and school employees should assume, even during emergencies, that school will be in session and buses will be running as scheduled unless there is official notification from the Superintendent to the contrary.
To achieve the maximum safety for all children and the efficiency of operations, the Superintendent may order the:
- Cancellation of some or all bus routes
- Delay of some or all bus routes
- Closure of school(s)
- Delay of school start
- Early dismissal of school
In making these decisions, the District believes schools are a safe place for students. The District also believes that school buses are very safe for children as they are heavy, well maintained and driven by well-trained and qualified individuals. It is also important to note that the closure of school is a serious decision and one that is rarely made. The District will take a variety of factors into consideration.
