Lincoln County School District is saddened by the tragedy which occurred this morning when a gunman opened fire at a community college in Roseburg, Oregon killing a number of people. This unthinkable event might raise questions about safety in our own schools. We want our families to know that we take safety seriously and have several preventative measures in place in our schools on a regular basis as we work to provide for the safety of our students and staff. Here are a few of them:

•We have a comprehensive Emergency Plan that was developed in conjunction with our local emergency response agencies (polices, fire, etc).

•Our staff members and substitute teachers receive training on our emergency procedures every school year.

•We conduct safety drills on a monthly basis (such as fire, lockdown, earthquake, shelter-in-place, etc.) including at least three lockdown drills every year. All of our schools have already done at least one lockdown drill this school year.

•Over the last several years, our local law enforcement agencies have worked with us to get electronic lock access control at all of our schools.

Here are some things you can do to help reduce risk and improve safety at our schools:

•When visiting our schools, please sign in at the office, wear the badge issued to you, and sign out and return the badge when you leave.

•Talk to your children about the importance of “Breaking the Code of Silence.” If you or your children see, have knowledge of, hear, or receive a threat of serious injury, whether verbal, written or symbolic, report it immediately to law enforcement and/or your school principal. All threats will be taken seriously.

•Keep your child’s emergency contact information updated at school.

Please feel free to visit our website at www.lincoln.k12.or.us. To learn more about our safety procedures, go to “Departments & Programs” tab and then click on “Safety.”

Thank you for caring and about the safety and security of our students and staff. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those impacted by the tragic events in Roseburg.