Letter from Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke

From Dublin Superintendent Dr. Stephen Hanke:

Dear Parents and Guardians:

This letter is a follow up to the message that I sent out to our community after the senseless tragedy that occurred in Connecticut in December. In that correspondence, I emphasized that the safety of our children is a top priority for us, that Dublin Schools are safe, and that we would be meeting with parents, teachers, and leaders of the city to determine if there were issues at our schools that should be addressed. 

Principals at all our schools held staff meetings and provided an opportunity for parents to express concerns that they may have regarding conditions at our schools. In addition, a meeting of all district leadership was called, and a special meeting of the Superintendent’s Council was held prior to the winter break. Our School Resource Officers attended the leadership meeting and have met with school principals at each of our sites.

The focus of the meetings centered on an assessment of facilities across the district, supervision of our campuses, and practices and procedures that are in place regarding visitors and strangers on campus. Safety drills, including “lock downs” were also the subject of the discussions held in these meetings.

As an additional step, we have scheduled a special Safety Committee meeting for this week where we will be sharing the information that was gathered prior to the winter break. From that meeting, specific recommendations will be brought forward in each of the aforementioned areas. Our goal is to complete a thorough assessment of our schools and to implement reasonable measures that continue to keep our students, teachers, support staff, parents and community safe when on any of our campuses. 

We will be sharing the findings and recommendations at a near future Board meeting and invite parents and community members to provide any additional suggestions via a response to this letter. Please respond by emailing: fischershelley@dublinusd.org

Regards,
Stephen Hanke, Ed.D.

Superintendent