Safety and Security
Ponder Independent School District is committed to providing a safe environment for students, staff, and visitors. We work closely with our first responders in order to ensure our schools are well prepared for an emergency. We are developing and reviewing our comprehensive plan that covers a wide variety of emergencies and serves as a guide to help staff, and our public safety partners, respond swiftly should a crisis occur in our schools.
The plan is updated annually. The plan prepares our staff and students for action and establishes teams, chains of command, and specific steps to take in an emergency situation.
It is important to understand that Ponder ISD’s first priority will be to ensure the safety of the students and staff and we will initiate our communications plan as soon as we have accurate information. Emergencies can develop rapidly and change frequently. We work with our first responders to ensure the message we send is correct and does not compromise any aspect of the situation.
Safety Response Protocols (SRP)
Secure - The building is put in a secure mode based on activity in the surrounding area, not in the school or on school grounds. School staff will move all students and activities inside and ensure the building is locked while learning continues inside the school with minimal classroom interruption or distractions.
Lockdown - The building is put on lockdown due to perceived danger inside or very near the building. All students and staff are trained to get behind a locked door - Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.
Evacuate - Our students and staff are moved to a new or safe location due to a situation in or near the school building.
Shelter - Our students and staff are instructed to take safe shelter due to a situation in or near the school. These could include weather events or hazmat issues.
Hold - Our students and staff are instructed to clear the hallways and remain in classrooms with minimal classroom distraction or interruption until "All clear" is announced.
Parent Guide:
As a result of the passage of Senate Bill 11 during the 86th Texas Legislative Session, TEC Chapter 37.114: Emergency Evacuations; Mandatory School Drills was added. This new section addresses mandatory school drills for public school districts and open-enrollment charters.
Specifically, it states that the commissioner, in consultation with TxSSC and the State Fire Marshal, must adopt rules that provide procedures for evacuating and securing school property during an emergency. This includes designating the number of mandatory school drills to be conducted each semester of the school year, not to exceed eight drills each semester and sixteen drills for the entire school year. Neither this rule, nor the law, precludes a school district or an open-enrollment charter school from conducting more drills as deemed necessary and appropriate by the district or charter school.
Ponder ISD has set a drill calendar for the school year. This drill calendar affords the district the opportunity to practice a variety of drills from the Standard Response Protocols from the I Love You Guys Foundation. These drills are teachable moments for how to respond to different crisis situations.