DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 120
June 15, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Annual Review
of Crisis Plans |
The purpose of this memorandum is to advise
school divisions and school boards of an additional reporting requirement in Code 22.1-279.8:
School safety audits and school crisis, emergency management, and medical
emergency response plans, as amended by the 2007 General Assembly.
In accordance with the amended Code, effective July 1, 2007, local
school boards are required to annually review the written school crisis,
emergency management, and medical emergency response plans of each school in
the division. The superintendent shall certify in writing that review has taken
place no later than August 31 of each year to the
The amended Code
also provides that the local school board shall have the authority to withhold
or limit the review of any security plans and specific vulnerability assessment
components as provided in 2.2-3705.2.
Code 22.1-279.8, which also includes the
requirement for developed written crisis plans, the role of this Department and
the VCSS, as well as the safety audit information, may be accessed at the
following address: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+22.1-279.8
In
order for superintendents to certify the completion of the crisis plan review,
the VCSS has added a component to the same Web-based Survey Manager website
as provided in the division management of the 2006 school safety surveys. As previously
established, superintendents will be provided a username and password in order
to access the central point of school division safety management. Upon logging on, the superintendent will need
only to provide his/her initials and select the certification button to
complete the process.
More information will be available soon
at the website for the VCSS at http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/vcss/. Questions may be directed to Donna Bowman,
manager of the VCSS at 804-371-6506, donna.bowman@dcjs.virginia.gov
or Arlene Cundiff, coordinator of the safe and drug-free schools program with
the Virginia Department of Education, at 804-225-2871, or arlene.cundiff@doe.virginia.gov.
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