District Safety and Security

Safety is the top priority at the Gravette School District. We have implemented a comprehensive system that includes trained staff, protocols, programs, and policies to keep students and staff safe before, during, and after school.

Our Mission

Gravette School District’s mission is to ensure success for ALL students. Working collaboratively with a deeply invested community, ALL students will: Thrive in a student-centered environment where they know we care. Learn and grow in positive, safe, and supportive schools. Be empowered and equipped to achieve excellence in all things. Be celebrated.

We support our school leaders in promoting the safety of students and staff. By taking a holistic approach to safety, schools proactively provides for physical and emotional safety and creates a culture that aims to build trusting relationships. School safety plays a critical role in positive youth development and academic success.

Safety is Everyone's Responsibility

The safety of our students and staff is reliant on building trusted partnerships with parents, students and our community. We ask everyone, "if you see something, SAY SOMETHING".

You can reach out to your child's building Principal, or directly report it to our SROs. If it is an emergency, please call 911.

School Safety Framework

When GSD looks at safety, it is not just about physical safety. We want students to feel welcome and emotionally safe. They must have relational trust in caring adults at the school, who they have confidence will be there for them if they need something, or if they need to share important information about a situation.

GSD looks at school safety holistically. All three of these components must be in place in order to have a school where students and staff can feel safe. And it takes everyone’s active participation to ensure that these components are in place. Safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Physical Safety

All schools have a safety plan that determines how they will keep their school physically safe.

Only authorized individuals are able to enter the schools. To support in the access control plan, all of our campuses have integrated safety software that will track and produce reports for individuals who are entering the schools. We implement a rigorous background check policy to ensure that the adults supporting schools have been appropriately vetted to be deemed safe to be working with students. In addition, both internal and external doors remained locked at all times in every building. This previous quarter we achieved a 99% locked door rate for the district.

Emotional Safety

Teachers, staff, and administrators all work towards the goal of ensuring that there is a welcoming environment for students so they view their school as a sanctuary, enabling them to focus on learning and academic achievement.

Students also play a role in supporting their peers in providing for an emotionally-safe environment.

Relational Trust

It is our goal to ensure that every student has at least one trusted adult that they can go to if they need additional support.

School Resource Officers and Commissioned School Safety Officers are explicitly trained to support schools in providing this welcoming environment where they can build healthy and appropriate relationships with students while also maintaining the physical safety of the building. There are multiple SRO and CSSO's assigned to each campus.

Safety Measures at Every School

District Wide Safety and Security Coordinator with over 25 years experience (David Cadle - Bio above)
School-specific safety protocol plans (standard operating procedures)
School-specific emergency response plans
Professionally trained SROs
Professionally trained CSSOs (certified safety and security officers)
Compliance with annual safety drills requirements
Visitor Management System - RAPTOR
Internal and External Doors Locked
Camera/Surveillance System
New state of the art locks on EACH classroom door that holds students

We provide additional supports for students that may be gong through extra challenges. Through interventions, counseling and programming, students and their families can access custom supports to meet their specific, individual needs.

Safety Emergency Preparedness

Our top priority is to provide safe spaces for our children to learn and educators to teach. GSD takes proactive steps in order to prevent serious incidents from happening in the first place.

Although emergencies during the school day are extremely rare, we have established clear emergency protocols and communication procedures so all students and staff know how to quickly and confidently make their way to safety in the event of an emergency.

While schools across the district have worked to build a culture of safety to prevent serious incidents, in the event of an emergency, these steps will help schools to be prepared to respond effectively. Learn more by visiting the page linked below:

Emergency Management Plans

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CSSO and SRO?

A CSSO is a Certified Safety and Security Officer who has completed additional training, and who has been granted the authorization by the Arkansas State Police to carry a firearm while on the property of a public-school (K-12). We have several CSSOs in every school.

As defined by the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), a school resource officer is a career law enforcement officer with sworn authority who is deployed by an employing police department or agency in a community-oriented policing assignment to work in collaboration with one or more schools. SROs work in partnership with the schools to provide a safe learning environment. They are a valuable resource to school staff members, fostering positive relationships with youth, developing strategies to resolve problems affecting youth, and protecting all students so that they can reach their fullest potentials. They serve to educate students through class lessons, grade level, and school meetings. They also serve as an informal mentor to students and are a law enforcement officer.

Who do I contact if I want to know the specifics regarding certain emergency drills?

We encourage you to please reach out to your child's building Principal either by phone or email. They would be more than happy to discuss with you over the phone or schedule an in person meeting.

Visit the Staff directory of your child's school website for contact information.

I feel strongly about adding more safe guards to our schools. I want to voice my opinion!

The voice of our parents, students, and community members matter. We recommend emailing the Gravette District Superintendent with your questions, concerns, or you can schedule a meeting.

What if my child asks a question about school safety, and I don't know how to answer it?

School guidance counselors and your child’s teachers are good resources. You can say, "I'm not quite sure, but that's a great question. Let's find out the answer together!"

What can I do at home to teach my children about emergency preparedness?

Talk to your children about taking emergencies and drills seriously and encourage them to listen and follow directions during a critical event. It is also a good idea to have a plan in place at home for what your family will do during an emergency.

What do I do if my child heard something that raises a concern, but doesn't want to get anyone in trouble?

Students are always encouraged to report a concern to any of our school staff members. Encourage your child to immediately report concerns to a trusted adult. It is critical that our students understand that reporting a suspicious circumstance doesn’t automatically get someone in trouble. It could save a life. We ask that everyone remains vigilante and alerts the schools and the police about anything suspicious that you might see or hear at school, in the community, or online by adopting the "see something say something" strategy and asking your children to do the same.