By ALICIA FEYERHERM
Tiger Media Network
School Psychologist and 489 District Crisis Consultant Julie Zollinger provided an update on crisis preparedness during Monday’s Board of Education meeting.
The district uses Raptor Technologies for various purposes. The app tracks compliance with state-mandated drills and other situations.
For example, over 800 “Team-Assists” have been activated since 2025. These are non-emergency but high-needs situations in which staff request immediate support.
Within “Team-Assist”, there are the following sub-types:
• Principal to Front Office
• Medical Assistance
• Student Concern
• Fight in Progress
• Irate Parent
• Suspicious Activity
“High usage is actually a positive sign, as it means staff are comfortable using the tool and proactively seeking support before situations escalate,” Zollinger said.
The district used a school safety grant to cover the initial purchase and setup of the software, and now pays an annual fee for it.
Throughout the year, Zollinger coordinates staff training and tabletop exercises.
“Staff engagement was high and the exercises helped reinforce roles and expectations,” Zollinger said.
The drills incorporated law enforcement to practice inter-agency coordination, and the before-and-after training surveys indicate noticeable improvements.
Through an Ellis County Communications School Mapping Grant, law enforcement will have access to more accurate school layouts during emergencies.
This year, the USD489 School Safety Webpage was launched to provide a centralized location for safety resources. A monthly safety newsletter is also sent out.
Upcoming projects include the Behavior Threat Assessment Training and the development of a reunification plan.
The Behavior Threat Assessment Training is a 7-hour virtual training provided by Raptor, which helps participants distinguish serious, substantive threats from transient threats that are not serious.
The reunification plan refers to the best practices for reunifying students with their
families as quickly as possible to mitigate psychological harm following emergency situations.
“We’re taking a complex, deliberate approach so that when the plan rolls out it is practical, scalable, and easy for staff to follow during an emotionally difficult situation,” Zollinger said. “Although we’ve accomplished a great deal, we know there is much more work ahead.”
Board member Craig Pallister thanked Zollinger for her work on the crisis plan. She has been in charge of the crisis plan for over 20 years.
Other items from the meeting included:
- Approval of a bid for steamers at Hays Middle School from Sunflower Restaurant Supply for $20,700
- Approval of a bid from Kansas Truck for $234,604 for a yellow activity school bus
- Approval of a contract change order for the removal of asbestos tile for $26,199 from ISI Industrial Services
- A motion to approve the updates to the HVAC Preventive Maintenance Service Agreement with Glassman Corp to add equipment at O’Loughlin, Roosevelt and Hays Middle School failed
- District Administrative Personnel Contract Extensions were tabled until the next meeting
The next Board of Education meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on February 23 at the Rockwell Administration building.