Our top priority is providing safe, secure and caring learning environments where your children spend much of their day. Staff work in partnership with national, state, and local safety officials—police, fire, emergency medical services, and public health—to ensure our schools are well prepared for a variety of emergencies.
All schools have comprehensive crisis plans, which are developed in conjunction with safety officials. These plans are reviewed and updated annually. As part of these plans, YCSD has adopted the I Love You Guys Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). This nationally recognized approach uses clear, consistent language and actions to help students, staff, and families understand how to respond during different types of emergencies. All schools review and practice these protocols regularly.
Standard Response Protocol Actions
Action: Hold in your room or area. Clear the halls.
Hold is called when the hallways need to be kept clear, even during class changes. This can be initiated for medical and safety reasons.
Action: Get inside. Lock outside doors.
Secure is called when there is a situation OUTSIDE the building that requires everyone to remain inside. Classroom activities continue uninterrupted. When a building is in Secure, students and families will be not be allowed to enter or exit the building and staff access is limited.
Action: Locks, Lights, Out of Sight
Lockdown is called when there is an immediate threat to the school requiring the need to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place. Teachers will lock classroom doors and turn lights out. In addition, teachers and students will move away from corridor line of sight and maintain silence.
Action: Follow Directions
Evacuate is used when there is an unsafe situation INSIDE the building, such as a fire or gas leak, and students must be moved from one location to another. This could be another location on school grounds or another location away from the school campus.
Action: Follow Directions
Shelter is used when there is an unsafe situation, such as a tornado or earthquake, requiring everyone in the building to take action for personal and physical safety.
Emergency Dismissal and Reunification
The division will not dismiss any students during an emergency until it is safe to do so. Schools will act with the safety of students in mind, and school officials will always follow the directives of emergency personnel. In certain circumstances, students may be transported to an alternate location for reunification. Families will be notified of the location and procedures through YCSD’s rapid notification system and official channels.
School Drills
Throught the school year, schools hold several drills to help ensure students and staff know what to do in an emergency. These drills include, but are not limited to, fire, tornado and lockdown. Drills may not be announced in advance to better assess readiness.
Reporting Safety Concerns
Safety is a shared responsibility. If you see something concerning, such as weapons, drugs, bullying, or suspicious activity, report it immediately:
- Tell a trusted adult
- Call the YCSD Hotline at 757-890-5000
- Report on the YCSD App or online using the ReportIt form
- For emergencies, always call 911
Reports made through the HOTLINE or online are reviewed daily and investigated by the proper authorities. All calls are confidential.
Family Information
Families are asked not to call or come to a school during an emergency. We understand and respect your concern, but it is essential that the telephone system is available for emergency communications between authorities and the division.
Principals and division administrators will inform families of events, using our rapid notification system, if:
- There is a potential threat to the students, staff or the building
- There is an interruption to the school's daily routine
- There is a high level of discussion, inquiry, rumor or misinformation
Please make sure that your child's school has your current phone number and/or email address on record to ensure you receive these communications.
Care Solace
The York County School Division prioritizes proving safe, welcoming and caring environments in which all students and staff have a sense of belonging and purpose. To support that commitment, the division has partnered with Care Solace to provide an additional layer of support for our community.
With Care Solace, families and staff gain access to a dedicated Care Companion 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Care companions identify local providers and find the right fit and availability of care for our families. Care Solace is now available for use for you and your family at no cost. To learn more about how you can connect with Care Solace, speak with your school’s counseling office or school nurse.
School Security Officers
YCSD employs School Security Officers (SSOs) at all middle and high schools, in addition to School Resource Officers (SROs) from the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office. The school security officers responsibilities include preventing incidents, investigating student violations of school board policies, and intervening in cases where students violate the law or school policies on school premises or during school-related events.