At about 9:20am on Sept. 7th we issued a district-wide lockout due to notice that law enforcement officials were searching the community for a suspect wanted for questioning of a dangerous crime. The lockout was lifted around 1:00pm when evidence indicated the suspect had left town.Lockout is a critical element in the Student Response Protocol (SRP - iloveyouguys.org) adopted by Chadron Public Schools and many other schools and businesses across the nation.
Lockout is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the school building. Common examples for using a Lockout is for violence or criminal activity in the immediate neighborhood, or a dangerous animal near campus.
The Lockout protocol demands bringing students into the main building and locking all exterior doors. Classroom activities inside the building continue uninterrupted when/where possible.
Depending on the circumstances, it will be determined whether students are allowed to leave the building escorted from the front door with a parent, or whether students are not allowed to leave at all. We understand this will create an inconvenience at times for students and parents, but it is important for us to ensure everyone's safety.
Announcements for a Lockout are made by administration within the building, but we'll also make efforts to communicate via our Remind text messaging services which each principal provides for students, parents and patrons.
A Lockout differs from a Lockdown because inside the building, classes and routines continue as normal as possible. However, during a Lockdown, teachers and students will look to escape a threat that is inside the building or they will lock and barricade themselves in secure rooms.
We want to thank everyone for their patience and support today for our protocols to protect students and staff!
For more information on the Standard Response Protocol, please visit the iloveyouguys.org website.
