• The safety of our students is a priority at Walnut Creek School District. Please explore our menu links to discover a wide range of programs aimed at fostering a healthy and secure school community. 

    Overview District & Site Safety Plans

    One of the most important components of a comprehensive district safety plan is communication. We are proud to share that WCSD has an outstanding communication platform, Blackboard Connect.  This platform works in conjunction with Aeries, our student information system, ensuring that we have direct access to our families through email, text and voice messaging.  Our website is updated regularly and ongoing newsletters are sent. 

    In 2018, we developed a District Safety Committee.  Our committee is composed of our governing board, staff, parents, administrators, and community  partners.  This committee meets quarterly to review policies, practices, and protocols.  Our District Safety Plan is updated annually and presented to our Governing Board in March.  Each school also maintains a comprehensive school safety plan which includes policies for handling a variety of potential issues specific to school sites.  The plans are developed in collaboration with School Site Councils and updated annually to ensure we address needs in a timely and relevant manner.  Please note that schools do not publish the details of the specific protocols within those plans so as not to contribute to a security breach.  

    Campus Security

    WCSD campuses are supervised and, where possible, gates are locked during instructional hours.  Security cameras have been installed across each campus as well as upgrades to lighting and signage.  We have an extensive and mulit-faceted communication system.  Campuses are closed to pedestrian visitors during school hours.  All visitors are directed to the office to check-in while on campus.  

    Emergency Preparedness

    EMERGENCY DRILLS:  All schools must be prepared to handle a variety of emergency situations.  These include some that call for securing students and staff along with others that call for safe evacuation.  These protocols have been developed with guidance from our local law enforcement partners.  Every school in WCSD is required to schedule a monthly fire drill, two earthquake drills, and one lockdown drill per year.  These drills are in addition to the annual participation in the Great California Shakeout (October).  If a school is put into “lock down” it is helpful for families to maintain distance from the school site and to react according to the directives given by the District in coordination with law enforcement.   

    Traffic Safety

    Traffic safety has been a focus of our District Safety Committee this year due to the recent tragedies that have occurred in our neighboring cities.  Mr. Fernandez has worked alongside city and county officials to assess each of our school campus traffic patterns.  Based on these assessments, the district will be taking some important steps to improve traffic safety this summer.  We are grateful to the City of Walnut Creek for their partnership in our crossing guard program.  We plan to expand this program to include additional identified areas of need.  You can review our assessment and recommendations here.

    Student Care Lines/Programs

    Sandy Hook Promise, Youth Suicide Prevention, Child Abuse Prevention Council

    Maintaining trusting relationships and “inclusive” school culture is important to creating an atmosphere where students are willing to speak out when they see, hear, or feel that something is wrong.  Several avenues are available to students to report concerns or share tips with responsible adults on campus to prevent issues from escalating.  One of the most prominent programs in our middle schools is a partnership with the Sandy Hook Promise and the See Something Say Something Program.