School Board Policy 903 Procedures

School is one of the safest places for students. This is because they are surrounded by caring and capable adults, as well as being involved in comforting, established routines. A safe school environment is essential for learning and is one of the highest priorities for White Bear Lake Area Schools. For the security of our students and staff and the safety of our visitors, a uniform District Visitor Policy, 903, has been implemented.

Visitors to District #624 will be asked to produce proof of identification. Visitors will follow the building procedures when entering any district building.

Visitors will be signed in by a staff member and will be issued visitor identification, which must be visible at all times. During events that are open to the public, exceptions and modifications to these procedures may be posted.

When leaving, visitors must check out with the office staff. The time of departure will be recorded. This is a very important step, because in an emergency evacuation, such as a fire drill, we will use the visitor records to make sure that all visitors are accounted for and have exited safely.

Parents/guardians are welcome to observe their children in the classroom setting. One of the best ways to understand a child's classroom program is through direct observation. Parents/guardians must make an appointment three days in advance with the building principal to identify an appropriate time to visit as per Policy 903. Classes may be involved in an assembly, special event, or testing if a parent/guardian arrives without notice. Parent visits to observe their child in the classroom will be limited to twice a school year.

Members of the media who visit the schools must produce identification upon entering the building as a visitor and must provide media credentials when covering school-related activities, including but not limited to classroom visits, assemblies, sporting events, and extracurricular event coverage. Media credentials must be visible at all times when covering school-related stories.

While some of these measures may create anxiety, inconvenience, or delays, they are necessary steps to provide the safest and most secure learning environment possible.

We hope that, by following these basic procedures, our schools will be safe for our guests, our staff, and especially for our students.

Thank you for being our partners in this important effort.