Laguna Beach School District Reacts To Florida Shootings

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — With a nation in shock following the killing of 17 people at a Florida high school on Wednesday, the Laguna Beach Unified School District Superintendent reached out to her community to tell of steps taken to ensure similar occurrence does not happen at their Orange County Schools.

Laguna Beach Unified School District Superintendent Jason Viloria offered a statement for his students and families.

"Our hearts are with the victims and their families, as well as with the students, staff and community at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We are deeply saddened that we must endure yet another senseless tragedy," Viloria said.

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL injured at least 14 others who remained hospitalized as of Wednesday, according to a Patch News report. The shooting happened after a fire alarm was pulled, prompting students and staff at school to evacuate. The accused gunman is a former student at that high school.

"As always, our priority is the safety and well-being of our children," Viloria told families. "We realize trying to find words to help our children feel safe and resilient in a world that sometimes feels unpredictable and scary is difficult.

Read the entire statement below.

LBUSD SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS

Dear LBUSD Community,

Our hearts are with the victims and their families, as well as with the students, staff and community at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. We are deeply saddened that we must endure yet another senseless tragedy.

A natural response to this event in Florida is to wonder what plans are in place at our schools to provide a safe environment. The District takes our responsibility for school safety very seriously because we are entrusted with protecting the children of LBUSD when they are on our campuses. Our District Safety Committee members develop, revise, and update safety plans through a collaborative process to ensure procedures are effective and current. The District also works closely with our local police and fire department officials to include current best practices into our plans.

Laguna Beach Unified School District schools are required to maintain and update an annual Comprehensive School Safety Plan, the most recent version of which was approved by the Board of Education at Tuesday’s Board meeting. These plans delineate how schools will respond to a variety of school-related emergencies and include:

• Building disaster plans
• Hazard assessments
• Evacuation plans, routes and locations
• Standardized emergency management plans
• Shelter in place and lockdown procedures
• Student/parent reunification plans
• Emergency drill schedules

As always, our priority is the safety and well-being of our children. We realize trying to find words to help our children feel safe and resilient in a world that sometimes feels unpredictable and scary is difficult. In the aftermath of this traumatic event, the National Association of School Psychologists notes there are effective ways to talk with students:

• Create a sense of safety by returning to normal, predictable routines as soon as possible;
• Listen to their concerns and feelings
• Suggest they limit their use of media to lower their stress and to maintain balance and perspective; • Realize that sleep difficulties are common and can lead to fatigue and poor participation.

There are additional suggestions in the links below, with resources for educators and parents.

• Talking to Children About Violence
• Five Tips to Help Children Cope with a National Tragedy
• Helping Your Children Manage Distress

Finally, staff on our campuses are trained to report any unusual and suspicious activity, and we encourage parents and students to do the same. Please reach out to your school site administrator if you have any questions about campus safety procedures.

Sincerely,

Jason Viloria, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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