Recent School Safety Incidents Spark Questions About Communication, Requirements
Here’s what California law requires—and how families can review local safety plans.
Questions about how schools communicate during emergencies—and what information they share—have surfaced in the wake of safety incidents at Bonita High School and Romona Middle School in La Verne.
Parents say they would like clearer, more timely communication from school officials about how campuses handle emergencies and what safety protocols are in place.
“I would like to see the principal send an email that tells us, 'here is the protocol Bonita follows,' and 'here’s how we keep your children safe.' It would give reassurance to parents,” said a parent who requested anonymity because they have students who currently attend Bonita High School.
In an email, Margaret McDonald, senior executive assistant for the Bonita Unified School District, said both Bonita High School Principal Kenny Ritchie and San Dimas High School Principal Omar Mayen declined to comment for this story.
Beyond individual incidents, the broader question is how schools prepare for emergencies and communicate with families. California law requires every K-12 public school to maintain and publicly review a Comprehensive School Safety Plan (also known as a CSSP), providing a framework for both preparedness and transparency.
Staci Baird
Under the California Education Code, each school must develop, update, and publicly review its CSSP by March 1 of each year and submit it to its local school district or county office of education. The requirement is overseen by the California Department of Education.
Schools must make their CSSPs available for public inspection upon request. Safety plans may be posted online or made available for viewing at individual school sites or the district office.
McDonald shared BUSD's policy on Comprehensive Safety Plans, available online here, and wrote that, "a copy of a school’s site plan can be obtained from the site."
In neighboring Covina-Valley Unified, Superintendent Jonathan Blackmore said his district does not publish its safety plans on its website. Physical copies are available for public review at the district office and can be requested through the Student Services Department.
"While we support transparency, there are certain operational and tactical details regarding school safety protocols that we are unable to publicly discuss," La Verne Police Lt. Mark Gutierrez wrote in an email. "Sharing specific response strategies or procedures could unintentionally compromise the effectiveness of safety measures and the security of our campuses."
Gutierrez said the police department partners with BUSD on safety education and emergency preparedness efforts, taking part in drills and working with school leaders and staff, but that parents also play a role in school safety preparedness.
"Parents can support preparedness by discussing the importance of following directions from school staff and first responders, reinforcing the importance of avoiding rumors or social media speculation during incidents, and making sure their contact information is updated with the school to receive official notifications," Gutierrez wrote.
Disclosure: La Verne Daily News' editor has children who attend schools in the Bonita Unified School District.
La Verne Daily News
