Emergency Preparedness Plans

Sherman ISD 

National security alerts and events have resulted in many questions about emergency preparedness.  Sherman ISD has taken steps to prepare for a variety of emergency situations to ensure that students are safe and secure.  District officials are regularly in contact with law enforcement officials, including the new federal Homeland Security in this area and have coordinated with local emergency responders in developing our emergency procedures.

Sherman ISD staff members have received training and guidelines to help them prepare for various emergencies. Drills are conducted throughout the year to help students and employees become more familiar with what to do and where to go if need be.   Even before the Homeland Security Advisory System threat level was developed, Sherman ISD and each campus had plans in place to react to a variety of emergency situations.

If a threat is serious enough to warrant an early release from school, the parent or designated adult for each student will be contacted to determine the best way for the student to get safely home.  Depending on the nature and severity of the threat, as well as the age of the student, release may range from the student's normal mode of transportation to mandatory parent pick-up of the student.  Young children will not be allowed to ride a school bus to a possibly empty house without speaking to a parent first.

The nature and proximity of a threat or emergency would determine whether a campus would be locked down or evacuated.  If a campus is in emergency lock-down, no one will be allowed to enter the building except for emergency responders.   In that situation, students would be released to parents or guardians in a safe and organized manner once law enforcement and other emergency services providers give notice that it is safe.

To protect the security of students, the locations of evacuation shelters will not be released in advance.  The location of the evacuation shelters may also be affected by the proximity of the threat or emergency.  In any case, parents and guardians will be notified quickly about how and where to pick up their children if an evacuation occurs.

Emergency information will be communicated to parents/guardians and the community through a variety of methods, depending again on the nature and proximity of the threat or emergency.  There are telephones in every classroom and district administrators have mobile phones in case regular phone service is out.  The district web site, district Administration voice mail, and the news media all will be used to communicate emergency information.

At the beginning of the school year, parents and guardians are asked to provide complete emergency contact information and to designate individuals the school may release their children to if they are unable to come to the school personally.   Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to provide written updates to the school if any of that information changes during the school year.

Sherman ISD will continue monitoring national security directives and working with law enforcement officials.  The district is prepared to act if instructed to do so and also to respond to a variety of emergency situations.  Sherman ISD is committed to maintaining a safe, secure and nurturing environment for students.

For more information, please contact Sherman ISD's Maintenance and Operations Office at 903-891-6428 or e-mail sconrad@shermanisd.net.