With more than 14,000 students and 1,500 employees, there are great things happening every day in Rockwall ISD that our parents, staff and community may not hear about. As you can imagine, there are also challenges. In an effort to keep you informed, we’d like to share the “Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Rockwall ISD”. The safety and security of our students sits at the top of our priority list. It also lends us our first Top Ten topic…

Rockwall ISD Makes Student Safety a Top Priority

The safety of each student is of the utmost importance. The objective to provide a safe and secure educational environment necessitates a three-prong approach involving the efforts of Rockwall ISD employees, external government agencies and the involvement of parents and families. Rockwall ISD’s internal safety processes involve campuses and district departments working together to follow established policy and procedures. External entities include municipal, county and state agencies that collaborate with Rockwall ISD on a regular basis. Every one of these shareholders plays an important role in promoting safety at all Rockwall ISD schools, facilities and events.

Some Current Safety Measures

• All elementary and middle school campuses have intercom/camera systems so campus doors can remain locked throughout the school day.
• The district’s Emergency Operations Plan provides procedure, direction and planning to respond to emergencies.
• In the event of an emergency, the district’s Skylert messaging system informs parents via e-mail, phone and text.
• Video cameras on campuses record activities so that they may be reviewed when incidents occur.

You Might Not Know That…

• Campuses receive an average of 407 visitors per day.
• Over 73,500 visitors entered Rockwall ISD campuses last school year.
• Raptor Visitor Management software is installed at all campuses requiring visitors to show proper identification.
• School Resource Officers are assigned to each middle and high school campus.
• There are 33 crossing guards posted across the district.

Future Safety Needs within Rockwall ISD

• District-wide wireless crisis communication system
• Update card access system and mechanisms for door security
• Update current camera systems and add additional cameras in critical locations
• Update specific fire alarm systems
• HVAC manual shut down controls

Questions & Answers

Are all areas of my child’s campus under video surveillance?
The district has cameras on the interior of all campuses. The cameras are located in hallways and other common areas within the campus. Some campuses have exterior cameras that capture entrances and portions of the parking areas. Future planning includes installing cameras that provide additional coverage of parking areas and cover gymnasiums, cafeterias and other strategic locations.

What is the district doing to prevent school violence?
Rockwall ISD strives to create partnerships between students, staff, school resource officers, and parents to avoid violence in school-related settings. These relationships are geared towards incorporating prevention, detection, and communication efforts to create an atmosphere free of violence. In addition to this critical human element, Rockwall ISD also utilizes various mechanical systems in working to deter school violence.

Why am I asked to swipe my ID when I visit a campus? The district uses Raptor Visitor Management software that requires you to present your ID at the front office of every campus. The system uses government issued photo ID’s to determine the identity of the person requesting access to a campus. Raptor checks a national registered sex offender database to determine if the person that is requesting access is a registered offender. It does not check a visitor’s criminal history.The Rockwall ISD Top Ten Things You Need to Know campaign focuses on areas that impact a student’s education and environment. Topics include safety, financial difficulties, the academic environment, district growth, college readiness, special programs, facility information, environmental efforts and kindness and compassion. Visit www.rockwallisd.com for updates on the Top Ten.

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