Safety Procedures
Each school has a plan with specified roles and responsibilities for handling various types of emergencies.
Specific safety procedures will be followed, depending on the type of emergency. Every situation is unique, so school staff may adjust their response to address student safety first.
A school implements one of the following procedures in response to a safety issue or emergency:
Lockdown or Modified Lockdown
A school may go into lockdown when there is a safety concern on campus or police activity in the neighborhood. A school is ordered into lockdown by either law enforcement, the Highline's safety and security department or the school principal. Depending on the type of threat, a school may go into a lockdown or modified lockdown.
Lockdown
During a lockdown, students and staff remain in classrooms behind locked doors, staying quiet, low and out of sight. Windows and blinds are closed; lights are turned off.
Modified Lockdown
Students can move about inside the school but not outside. Exterior doors are locked. Only known staff are allowed to enter. Exterior windows and blinds are closed.
Evacuation
A school evacuation may occur in the event of a safety threat in which it would be safer for students and staff to be out of the building. Students are guided to an emergency assembly area.
Shelter in Place
A school may use shelter-in-place when hazardous materials are released into the atmosphere. Classroom heating and air vents are turned off and covered. Windows are closed.
Off-site Reunification
In the rare instance that students are transported to an off-site location due to an emergency, families will be notified of where and when to pick up their children. We will notify you using our emergency communication systems and the contact information you have previously provided to the school.
When picking up your student at a reunification site, you will be asked to show photo ID.
Please have patience and follow all directions by school staff.
If you are unable to retrieve your child, the school can only release your student to someone who is on the emergency contact list you submitted to the school or updated online in our student information system.