We are reminded all too often of the importance and fragility of school safety. Tragic events such as the recent community college shooting in Oregon and last year’s tragedy at Marysville-Pilchuck High School serve as chilling reminders that we are not immune from such horrific events.

Common to many of these tragedies is that after the fact warning signs that could have or should have been acted upon somehow got missed or not reported. Research shows that a majority of students indicate that they would be reluctant to report a classmate in crisis to school authorities if they couldn’t be anonymous. Yet students, parents or community members are often the first to have knowledge that an individual may be contemplating harm to themself or others.

In the coming weeks, our district will be launching a new service called SafeSchools Alert. This service will enable confidential, anonymous reporting of incidents that may impact school safety.

Reports can be made via email, text, phone or online. Reports of harassment, intimidation or bullying and general safety concerns will be forwarded to the appropriate district staff for investigation and follow up. SafeSchools Alert can also be used to report kudos and acknowledgement for good work and helpful deeds. School safety is a shared responsibility owned by the entire school community.

Particularly in our age of 24/7 social media and instantaneous communication, all of us become the first line of defense for the safety of our schools, students and staff. Please be looking for additional information to accompany the launch of the SafeSchools Alert service in the coming weeks.