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Back to School Safety
Posted on 08/11/2017
News conference supt and law enforcement

Preparing for the start of the new school year, Orange County Public Schools(OCPS), law enforcement, and justice system partners gathered today to discuss the safety and security of students.

To see the press conference click on this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1s8CYIyU7c&feature=em-uploademail

The following topics were discussed:

School Justice Partnership (SJP)

The School Justice Partnership was formed in 2015 by Superintendent Barbara Jenkins to address the high rate of arrests of students in Orange County. School Justice Partnerships are considered a national best practice for school districts to use in reducing the school-to-prison pipeline.

The SJP is an agreement between OCPS and local law enforcement, the courts, and other community partners to enhance the use of civil citations and restorative justice programs in misdemeanor offenses.

Last school year, 2016-17, school-based arrests at OCPS schools were down 30 percent as the result of the partnership, from 9.6 arrests per 1,000 students, to 6.4 arrests per 1,000.

In the case of serious offenses, the SJP will retain the focus on victims and maintain a zero tolerance approach for serious crime. Arrests will occur if a crime is serious.

The goal of the school district is:

  •  to decrease the escalation of disciplinary matters into arrests. 
  •  to keep the focus of school resource officers on safety and security.

  •  to ensure information concerning criminal acts at school is shared with our law enforcement partners.

  •  and to create a strategic approach to justice within a school setting, that is focused on prevention and early intervention.

  • OCPS District Police serve an important leadership role in coordinating prevention and early intervention strategies with our nine local law enforcement partners.

Back to School Safety

The first two weeks of school is a very active time and can create significant traffic issues, so OCPS and law enforcement encourage parents to follow these tips:

  •  Walk or ride bikes with your children to school to establish routes that are well-known by you and your children.

  • You may also want to join with other neighbors to do a Walking School Bus program for your children to join together and walk in groups. If you’d like to learn about it, check walkingschoolbus.org.  

  •  If you are eligible for school bus transportation, please use it! The average ride time for our students is 26 minutes, and we have one of the best safety records in the country.

  • If you must drive, please car pool with other parents to decrease the number of cars arriving at the same time, or park a couple blocks away and walk with your child to school to cut down on congestion.

  • OCPS partner agencies play an important role in creating a safe walk to school by hiring crossing guards to help our students cross busy roads and highways.

  • Motorists please take caution, especially around our schools and school buses.