• Campus Safety & Security

    The safety of our students, staff and facilities is of the utmost importance. In that regard, Plano ISD works closely with local law enforcement regarding school safety initiatives. Additionally, the district has a number of programs and protocols in place to promote safety and security, including:

    • Each middle school, high school and senior high school is served by a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) who provides security and law enforcement services, and coordinates the Campus Crime Stoppers program at all secondary campuses. SROs promote safety and security at their assigned campuses and seek to develop rapport with students.

    • Senior High School campuses employ two Safety Monitors who work simultaneously to (1) patrol the campus, serving as an additional set of eyes and ears to report and respond to safety concerns and (2) monitor cameras and control access to doors from the campus safety office, where they can also activate all emergency lockdown/lockout procedures using the TeleCenter U console and public address system.
       
    • Elementary school campuses are patrolled by uniformed, contract peace officers in marked police vehicles throughout the school day.

    • Plano ISD's Detection Canine (K-9) program includes detection dog handler teams to detect the presence of drugs and alcohol. The handler team checks Plano ISD campuses on a daily basis, including cars parked on district property, school lockers, classrooms and common areas of the buildings.

    • Uniformed police officers provide traffic direction services at campuses with a demonstrated need.

    • Uniformed police officers provide security at athletic events, socials, proms, fundraisers and other district events as deemed necessary.

    • Video surveillance camera systems in all schools help administrators monitor the interior and exterior of the building.

    • Intercom and video systems at visitor entries allow school staff to communicate with visitors prior to allowing entry.

    • Campus safety vestibules are designed such that visitors must be admitted to the school office prior to gaining access to secure areas of the school beyond the office.

    • All Plano ISD campuses and facilities use the RAPTOR electronic visitor management system. The RAPTOR system, which requires the visitor to present a driver’s license or other acceptable form of government-issued identification, logs the visitor into the building and provides the visitor with a temporary, photo-identification badge to wear while in the building. The visitor management system also checks the visitor’s identification against a nationwide database of registered sex offenders.

    • District-wide emergency radio system that allows immediate, district-wide notification of emergency information and serves as backup communication for campuses should telephone service be interrupted. The radio system will also allow joint-communication with PISD, police and fire departments in an emergency.

    • All campuses are monitored by burglar alarm systems. Panic alarms are provided at select locations.

    • Criminal history background checks are required for applicants for employment, volunteers, mentors and contractors.

    • The district has four (4) Security Specialists that each serve designated campuses. Security specialists assist campuses with all issues related to safety, security and emergency preparedness.

    • Strong support by the community for bond programs has allowed Plano ISD to maintain safety as a priority. With money from the 2016 bond election, Plano ISD has been able to upgrade cameras and fire alarms districtwide. Bond dollars also made it possible to realize upgrades at the senior high campuses, including installing public address systems, upgrading access controls and installing automated door locks to assure that only a few monitored doors are accessible during non-passing periods. 

    • Each campus has one or more copies of the district’s Emergency Procedures Guide and staff members have an electronic version available for installation on a smart phone.

    • Each campus has an individual Campus Emergency Plan that is updated each year.

    • Campuses work with the Student, Family and Community Services and the Safety and Security Services Departments in addressing potential threats and threat assessments involving students.