CAMANO: Important districtwide safety update

The Stanwood-Camano School District posted this item in the news section of their website on Dec. 9, 2024.

During the past few weeks, we have seen an uptick in student behavior that are perceived as possible threats. 

We understand and take seriously the concerns raised by families across the district regarding safety incidents. The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our highest priorities, and we are committed to maintaining secure learning environments. Each reported safety concern has been thoroughly investigated in partnership with law enforcement and district safety personnel. 

In every instance, our established safety protocols have been implemented promptly, in accordance with state law. This includes direct communication with those involved, collaboration with law enforcement, and safety assessments conducted by our trained district safety team. While investigations have consistently confirmed no credible threats to our schools, we recognize that families and staff expect not only transparency but also proactive measures to uphold and reinforce a safe and supportive school environment. 

We remain committed to ongoing safety training, clear communication, and the steps necessary to ensure that all students and staff feel safe and supported every day. Should any situation arise that compromises safety, we will act decisively, including closing a school if necessary, to protect our community. 

Next Steps and Action Plan

• Enhanced Communication: We commit to providing clear and timely updates to families when safety concerns arise. While we are legally restricted in disclosing details about individual student discipline, we will provide as much information as possible to reassure the community.
• Support for Impacted Families: We understand the emotional toll these incidents have had on students and families, particularly those directly involved. Our counseling team is available to support any student or family in need.
• Community Collaboration: We plan to host a Health & Safety Forum at 6 p.m. Jan. 9 at Stanwood High School to address concerns and provide more details about how we assess and respond to safety concerns. This forum will also allow families to learn about the laws, policies, and protocols we follow and to share their feedback and suggestions.
• Districtwide Class-by-Class Reteaching and Expectation Setting: All schools will hold class-by-class discussions this week, reteaching behavior expectations and affirming consequences for not meeting them. Families will be apprised of the class discussions and lessons in the Sunday, Dec. 15, Family Newsletter. These lessons will be revisited the week students return to school after Winter Break.

Commitment to Accountability

We acknowledge concerns expressed by families about these situations. As your school district, we are committed to demonstrating accountability through concrete actions and ongoing communication in several key areas:

• Clear Protocols: Every safety incident will continue to be evaluated through our established safety assessment procedures, which involve collaboration between school leaders, district safety officials, and law enforcement. This assessment generally follows these procedures:
  • Receive the initial report and investigate the claim
  • If there is imminent danger we initiate a lockdown/lockout and call 911
  • If there is not an imminent danger but still a possible risk, we:
    • Contact law enforcement
    • Exclude/remove student(s)
    • Continue to gather details and review information
    • Perform Level 1 (Salem-Keizer) threat assessment
    • Make one of the following determinations:
      • Student(s) can return to instructional setting with a safety plan (may include bag searches, adult check in, and other safety steps depending on the situation), or
      • A Level 2 Threat Assessment done in partnership with our local Educational Service District to determine if and how the student(s) will return to school and other agency supports that may be needed, or
      • Student(s) will not return to school and alternative placement is determined to continue education

• Transparency Within Legal Boundaries: While privacy laws limit our ability to publicly disclose specific disciplinary actions taken against individual students, we will make every effort to communicate the steps we are taking to ensure the safety of all students and staff.
• Re-evaluation of Current Practices: The district will conduct an internal review of our current safety procedures and make adjustments where needed to ensure our response meets the community’s expectations.

How You Can Help

We urge families and students to continue practicing our “Report, Don’t Repost” guideline for handling potential threats. Sharing alleged threats, unconfirmed reports, or misinformation online can unintentionally spread fear and impede investigations. Please report concerns directly to school administrators or law enforcement.

We ask families to discuss the information regarding safety expectations with their students. This will be available in the Sunday, Dec. 15, Family Newsletter. 

Contact Us

Please visit our Safety & Wellness page for more links, resources, and information about the district’s Safety & Wellness initiatives.