Orange County Grand Jury • 2022-2023

Newport-Mesa Board of Education Ashley Anderson • Michelle Barto*

Published: September 12, 2023 6 pages Consolidated Report

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Note: Missing finding numbers detected: F10

Findings 10 findings

Law enforcement, first responders, and Agree. The Respondent agrees other stakeholders have demonstrated a strong interest in working with the finding cooperatively with Orange County public schools to mitigate the risk of an active shooter incident; establishment of MOUs between law enforcement and school districts would strengthen this cooperation.

Agree. The All Orange County public schools Respondent agrees studied by the Grand Jury stated that with the finding they conducted or have scheduled drills within the current school year on emergency procedures addressing intruders on campus, but not all have done so specifically regarding armed assailants.

While all districts prioritize the safety Agree. The of students and staff, the attention Respondent agrees and resources devoted to active with the finding shooter preparedness and response vary from district to district. Inspire, Educate, Elevate, Superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith 2985 Bear Street · Costa Mesa · California 92626 · (714) 424-5000 Agree. The

Safety and security plans for on- Respondent agrees campus before and after-school with the finding programs are not adequately addressed by school districts. Agree. The

While many Orange County public Respondent agrees schools have installed fences, cameras, and other methods to address the issue with the finding of active shooters on a campus, there are still opportunities for improvement. Agree. The Not all schools utilize a system for

monitoring campus visitors. Respondent agrees with the finding Agree. The

While there is an increased awareness Respondent agrees of the benefits of mental health with the finding counseling, not all school districts have implemented these programs in all schools. Agree. The

School Resource Officers (SROs) are a Respondent agrees valuable asset for school safety, yet with the finding many cities/districts do not allocate sufficient funds to hire needed officers. Agree. The

Not all classrooms have window shades, tinted glass, or film to obstruct Respondent agrees the interior view from the outside. with the finding Agree. The The camera surveillance systems

F11

Many schools do not have perimeter Respondent agrees fencing completely enclosing their with the finding campus. A number of school districts have Agree. The

Recommendations 13

R1

Each Orange County school district Assessment Center (OCIAC) should arrange for local law has been enforcement to do an annual safety implemented conducted safety assessments of each NMUSD school and inspection of each school. The written administrative building prior to the safety checklist should include an audit 2023-24 school year. Local law of the integrity of site boundaries and a review of safety plans and policies. This enforcement (CMPD and NBPD) will annual safety audit should commence be conducting annual safety with the 2023-24 school year by October assessments in future years. 1, 2023, and annually thereafter.
R2

Recommendation NMUSD works closely with local law All Orange County school districts should enforcement (CMPD and NBPD) to establish a threat identification and has been closely monitor any messages of assessment system for all school sites to implemented concern that are reported. There is monitor social media, screen for messages of concern, and manage a strong partnership with the Orange information received in coordination County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC) who is actively with local law enforcement using MOUs, monitoring social media. We also if necessary, by July 1, 2024. have a partnership with WeTip 2.0 for all Secondary Schools, which allows for the anonymous reporting of any concerning behavior, messages, and/or online activity. NMUSD in conjunction with local law
R3

Each Orange County school district, in Recommendation enforcement (CMPD and NBPD) will conjunction with law enforcement, has not yet been implemented but develop and conduct a tabletop should develop and implement tabletop will be in the exercise at a district school prior to exercises to be conducted in district future (see right December 31, 2023. schools by December 31, 2023, and for timeline) annually thereafter. NMUSD conducts lockdown drills at
R4

Each Orange County school district Recommendation should work with local law enforcement has not yet been all of our schools which will include implemented but local law enforcement (CMPD and to plan and conduct a district-wide NBPD) participation during the 2023- active shooter drill by July 1, 2024, and will be in the future (see right 24 school year. Additionally, the at least every other year thereafter. Newport-Mesa Unified School District for timeline) will collaborate with local law enforcement (CMPD and NBPD) to plan and conduct a district-wide active shooter drill by July 1, 2024. Inspire . Educate . Elevate. Superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith 2985 Bear Street · Costa Mesa · California 92626 · (714) 424-5000
R5

Recommendation A casualty care training program will All Orange County school districts should has not yet been be in place by the end of the first develop a casualty care training implemented but semester 2023-24 school year to program for each school in their will be in the train site administrators and health district, to be in place by the end of the first semester of the 2023-24 school future (see right staff. We will work closely with our for timeline) year and provided annually thereafter. Human Resources Department and labor groups to incorporate the casualty care training program into annual training thereafter. The work in this area has been Recommendation Safety and security plans for on-campus
R6

started but needs to be more closely before and after-school programs need has not yet been to be addressed more thoroughly by implemented but coordinated. The District has will be in the school districts, by July 1, 2024. already started requiring all before- future (see right and after-school staff to check in for timeline) through Raptor, our visitor management system and will look at additional areas of safety and security. The appropriate Directors from each department will work together to refine the plan by the required timeline. Recommendation NMUSD completed camera
R7

Each Orange County school district installation in several elementary, should obtain and incorporate perimeter has not yet been intermediate, and high schools over implemented but camera systems in all district schools by the summer. Additional camera will be in the July 1, 2024, or earlier if financially future (see right installation at all school sites will be able to do so, and investigate the prioritized in coordination with potential use of cameras that for timeline) recommendations from the Orange incorporate Artificial Intelligence to County Intelligence Assessment enhance threat detection and Center (OCIAC) safety assessment prevention. report and finalization of district security standards. Recommendation NMUSD has reviewed entry
R8

All Orange County school districts should procedures on all campuses with the has not yet been review entry procedures on all assistance of the Orange County implemented but campuses with an eye toward the use of Intelligence Assessment Center perimeter fencing, the use of single will be in the (OCIAC). The district is currently future (see right point entry, and the use of a buzzer and installing lobby security systems at camera system for entry into the for timeline) each of our schools and several main/administrative offices. administrative sites that include single point controlled entry through the use of a camera, intercom, and buzzer system. NMUSD has re-established the Recommendation
R9

Each Orange County school district protocols for all staff and parents in has been should identify and implement a parent check-in to all District facilities via implemented and visitor management system for each Raptor, our visitor management school site within the school district. Inspire, Educate, Elevate, Superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith 2985 Bear Street · Costa Mesa · California 92626 · (714) 424-5000 This is to include identified access system. These protocols have been shared with office staff and are points, badges, or a similar currently being implemented. We identification procedure are addressing lobby security as well by installing secure lobby equipment at each site. NMUSD site administration and Recommendation
R10

Each Orange County school district mental health staff were trained in has not yet been should implement training for all staff implemented but the Comprehensive School Threat to identify threat-related behaviors and will be in the Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) in provide a procedure for reporting the future (see right the Spring of 2023. Ongoing training behavior by the beginning of the 2024- is provided as a refresher and for for timeline) 25 school year. new staff. An abbreviated version of the training, which includes how to identify threat-related behaviors, will be made available to site leaders and mental health staff to use at their sites. The District also abides by the motto of "See Something, Say Something." At the elementary schools, reports of threat-related behavior is to go directly to the site administration. At the secondary schools, this can happen either directly to site administration or anonymously through WeTip 2.0. NMUSD has invested in full time Recommendation All Orange County school districts should
R11

elementary counselors at all develop a plan to implement or enhance has been elementary schools, to add to the mental health counseling for all schools implemented already existing mental health by December 31, 2024. support structure in-place. Secondary schools have been staffed with school counselors for a number of years. Additionally, at the elementary and secondary sites, there is staffing of either a full or part time school psychologist. Behavior Specialists (school psychologists) are also placed strategically throughout the District as are School Social Workers. We also continue to collaborate closely with our community partners who support our mental health work, including area hospitals and the Orange County Department of Education. Inspire, Educate, Elevate, Superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith 2985 Bear Street · Costa Mesa · California 92626 · (714) 424-5000
R12

Recommendation Each Orange County school district The partnership with local law should assess the need for SROs or enforcement (CMPD and NBPD has been additional SROs, reaching out to started in 2001, with the assignment implemented appropriate community partners to of SROs to the NMUSD. Each facilitate funding by July 1, 2024. department has now allocated three officers assigned as School Resource Officers. In Newport Beach, a SRO is assigned to Corona del Mar Middle/High School, one SRO is assigned to Newport Harbor High School, and a third SRO is assigned to Ensign Middle School and covers the elementary schools in the City as needed. In Costa Mesa, a SRO is assigned to Costa Mesa MS/HS, one is assigned to Estancia High School and TeWinkle, and one is assigned to Back Bay High School, and coverage for the elementary schools is distributed to all three. The need for additional resources is reviewed on a continuous basis. Classroom physical security in each
R13

All Orange County school districts should Recommendation NMUSD school was assessed in the investigate and consider bullet resistant has not yet been or tinted film covering for school implemented but safety assessments conducted by the Orange County Intelligence windows by December 31, 2023. will be in the Assessment Center (OCIAC). Bullet future (see right resistant and tinted films were for timeline) discussed as part of the assessments and will be considered upon receipt of the final report. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you. Sincerely, Jonathan Wilby Sarah Coley Administrative Director I, Student Services Director, Risk Management Newport-Mesa Unified School District Newport-Mesa Unified School District scoley@nmusd.us jwilby@nmusd.us (714) 424-5014 (714) 424-7535 Inspire, Educate, Elevate, Superintendent Dr. Wesley Smith 2985 Bear Street · Costa Mesa · California 92626 · (714) 424-5000

* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.