Rock Island Today

The Rock Island Municipal School District Board of Education received an update on a safety plan for the district during a recent meeting.

The Oct. 25 meeting was streamed on Vimeo.

District Safety Manager Charles Butler, who was hired earlier this year into that position, said during his update that he is working to ensure all safety plans the district has in place are being followed by students and staff.

“What's the purpose of having a lock on the door if we never protect what's behind the door?” he asked during the meeting. “So by locking on doors, guess what we're doing? We're actually not just locking the door, but we're securing our building.”

Butler also addressed the district’s crisis response plan, pointing out during the session that he would like to make sure the district has a plan in place that everyone is happy with, and also ensure that drills are performed based on those plans. He additionally noted that he had developed a new plan because the old plan seemed to assume people automatically knew what to do. He stressed that details are key during crisis situations.

Butler highlighted the need to ensure that all exterior doors are locked and stay locked to keep buildings secure. He also noted that he has updated the emergency flip share to a laminated, double-sided document that includes emergency numbers, exit routes and other key information for teachers.

In an effort to further enhance safety and security, Butler discussed the need to forge bonds with the community for the purpose of strengthening relationships to improve mental health and safety concerns.