Safety Program

It is the policy of the Oologah-Talala Board of Education to develop rules and procedures which will promote safety in the workplace and which will establish and maintain conditions of work that are reasonably safe and healthful for district employees. Therefore, the superintendent is directed to develop such rules and procedures in accordance with Oklahoma law and the rules of the Oklahoma Department of Labor. The superintendent will designate himself/herself or other person as a district safety coordinator. The rules and procedures developed by the superintendent and approved by this board shall be incorporated into this policy and become a part hereof.

The superintendent will establish procedures in an effort to offer reasonable protection for the safety of students, employees, visitors, and others present on school property or at school-sponsored events. Written plans and procedures will be prepared for the protection of students, faculty, administrators, and visitors from both natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. The written plans and procedures will be reviewed and revised as needed at the August meeting of the board of education. A copy of the district’s disaster/emergency plan will be provided to appropriate local emergency management officials.

The practice of safety shall be taught in educational programs in traffic and pedestrian safety, driver education, fire prevention, emergency procedures, disaster preparedness, etc., appropriately geared to students in different grade levels. Areas of emphasis shall include, but not be limited to, in-service training, accident record keeping, plant inspection, driver and vehicle safety programs, fire prevention, and emergency procedures in traffic safety problems relevant to students, employees, and the community.

Not later than October 1 of each school year, each school district site shall select a Safe School Committee composed of at least seven members. The committee will include an equal number of teachers, parents of the children affected, and students. In addition, the committee shall include a school official who participates in the investigation of reports of harassment, intimidation, bullying, and threatening behavior. The committee will study and make recommendations to the principal concerning:

1. Unsafe conditions, possible strategies for students to avoid harm at school, student victimization, crime prevention, school violence, and other issues which prohibit the maintenance of a safe school;
2. Student harassment, intimidation, and bullying at school;
3. Professional development needs of faculty and staff to implement methods to decrease student harassment, intimidation, and bullying; and
4. Methods to encourage the involvement of the community and students, the development of individual relationships between students and school staff, and use of problem-solving teams that include counselors and/or school psychologists.
5. Policies and regulations to be revised in light of the Department of Homeland Security’s threat assessment guidelines.

The committee shall meet each semester. The principal shall give consideration to recommendations of the committee.

Legal Citations

The qualifications and procedures outlined in this policy are based upon the following Oklahoma Statutes (O.S.):

• 63 O.S. §681
• 70 O.S. §1-107
• 70 O.S. §24-100