Introduction
To complete this activity, I reviewed copies of the state and local safety regulations for our area as well as the safety benchmarks for school’s seeking certification from the Association of Independent Schools of Florida. I also spoke with AH, our Head of School, RQ, our Chief Operating Officer and PB, our Operations Manager about safety concerns unique to our campus. I observed and participated in fire and lockdown drills and conducted walkarounds around the campus.
Findings
I found in every area that our campus was in compliance with all regulations and that all plans and certifications were up to date and correct. I also observed that, during drill conditions, students and faculty followed procedures correctly.
During my interview with AH, he noted that flooding is a concern unique to our campus. Over the last several years we have suffered floods during heavy rains and several inspections have determined that our drainage is not at fault, but that we are simply victims of geography. Rain runoff from the surrounding area all flows onto our campus and, during severe rainstorms, the volume of water can overwhelm our sewer system.
Last December we were forced to go to vacation four days early when 14 inches of rain fell in 24 hours and flooded our campus. We were left with six to eight inches of standing water in most first-floor offices and classrooms and significant damage. Beyond the initial cleanup, the main safety concern was mold, so, following repairs, the campus had to be sterilized and ongoing inspections and maintenance are now part of our routine.
Another constant safety concern is that of administrative coverage of the campus outside of school hours. Our campus has a security team on site 24 hours a day, but additional staff coverage is required whenever students are on campus. Managing this schedule is an administrative challenge. A rotating schedule has been created and, except for infrequent inconvenience to administrative team members, it has worked well..