[BHS Etree] BUSD - Responses to Weapons Found on the Berkeley High School Campus

[BHS etree]

Do not reply to this email, contact Mark Coplan,
Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us 

 

Berkeley Unified School District

Office of the Superintendent

 

March 22, 2012

 

Responses to Weapons Found on the Berkeley High School Campus

 

The safety of our students, teachers and staff is our paramount concern.
Berkeley High School, in cooperation with school district

administration, is presenting the following steps to respond to the recent
incidents of weapons on campus. The items below are preliminary responses

that are being implemented in the next several days with completion before
Spring Break, which begins on Saturday, April 2, 2011. Berkeley High

School and the District have scheduled several meetings to talk about safety
with students, staff, and parents within the next 10 days. As a

result of these meetings, other measures to ensure safety will be
recommended to the School Board.

 

*         A special School Board meeting has been called for Wednesday,
March 30 at 7:30pm to discuss these and other interventions to

            ensure student safety. 

*         Berkeley High School Principal Pasquale Scuderi will hold a
school-wide faculty meeting this week to discuss recent events, talk to
staff

            about this plan and their roles, and review school safety
procedures. 

*         Administrators at Berkeley High School will go into each history
classroom this week and next to explain rules and consequences of weapons

            on campus, explain the dangers of weapons, and explain how
students can confidentially report information about weapons on

            campus. 

*         Focus groups with students will be held prior to Spring Break to
discuss why students are bringing guns and weapons onto campus. The focus

            groups will be led by Berkeley High School staff with the
purpose to give students the opportunity to express their concerns in a

            confidential setting. 

*         An anonymous tip telephone hotline to report weapons on campus
-1-866-SPEAK UP - has been created and will be publicized to

            students and parents; a text message option will soon be added. 

*         Increased campus supervision at Berkeley High School has been
added effective immediately. Two additional Safety Officers will work

            at Berkeley High School until Spring Break and may continue
after Spring Break if warranted. Safety Officers will provide hourly

            patrols of bathrooms and out-of-the-way areas on campus.
Administrative support will be added to Berkeley High School on a

            temporary basis for the remainder of the school year
specifically to implement these proactive steps to reduce weapons on campus.


*         The Berkeley Police Department will meet with Berkeley High School
and District staff to assist with student education regarding safety

            and consequences, and assist with parent information regarding
safety issues, and review the role of the Police Department's

            School Resource Officer on campus. 

*         Berkeley High School and District staff have scheduled a parent
forum to be held on Monday, March 28 from 6:30-8:00pm in the Berkeley High

            Little Theater to address concerns and discuss steps being taken
to prevent further incidents of guns on campus. 

 

Note that the California Education Code governs student discipline; any
student found with a firearm faces mandatory expulsion from school.  

 

We know that the safety of our students and campuses is of concern to the
entire community, and we welcome all suggestions for improving school

safety.  

    

William Huyett

Superintendent

 

==========================================

 

Mark A. Coplan

Public Information Officer, BUSD

510-644-6320 Cell: 510-472-3811

Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us

Berkeley Unified School District

2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way

Berkeley, Ca 94704-1180

 

 

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