School Safety

At P.K. Yonge we are committed to the safety and security of our school community. In addition to being dedicated to caring for and educating the students on our campus, we take our responsibility for the safety of our school community seriously.

Safety procedures are designed to prepare for, respond to, and mitigate emergency situations on campus and to comply with school safety laws. Though emergencies are rare, we commit ourselves to being well-prepared in the event of an emergency at our school. Each year we review existing procedures and make changes to enhance our ability to deal with emergencies on campus.

Staff
The P.K. Yonge school community includes members of staff whose duties are devoted to school safety – School Safety Administrator, School Resource Officer (SRO) from the University of Florida Police Department, and a Gate Guard. All members of the faculty and staff are also trained in safety procedures.

Knowing Our Students
At P.K. Yonge, we work on developing strong relationships with students that not only enhance academic and social-emotional success, but also build a strong network of connections between students, faculty, and staff. These relationships help us know when students are struggling and help students feel safe in sharing concerns with adults on campus.

Restricted Access to Campus
As you know, access to campus during school hours is restricted. Family members and visitors must check in at the gate with a State-issued ID and wear visitor identification badges while at P.K. Yonge. Faculty and Staff also wear photo identification badges. Anyone found on campus without an identification badge will be escorted off campus by the School Resource Officer.

Emergency Preparedness
Our school community participates in emergency preparedness activities according to State requirements. Fire drills and active threat drills are age-appropriate and are designed to educate students in both group and personal safety.

Reporting Tools
FortifyFL | Details
FortifyFL is a state-wide anonymous reporting tool that delivers reports of threats and suspicious activity immediately to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials. At P.K. Yonge, these anonymous reports will be received by the University of Florida Police Department and the P.K. Yonge administration.

GatorSafe | Details
GatorSafe is a University of Florida app that allows users to report suspicious activity immediately to the UF Police Department, make emergency calls, and perform other functions that improve personal safety and security.

Useful Terms and Definitions
Heightened Security Procedures occur if an investigation of trespass or other potential hazard takes place on or near campus. When faculty/staff are instructed to “Heighten Security,” teachers gather and account for students, secure classrooms, and restrict hallway access.

Active Threat Procedures occur if a member of the school community witnesses a direct threat to members of the school community. ALICE is a type of Active Threat Procedure.

Reunification Procedures occur when P.K. Yonge is unable to dismiss children in a normal release due to circumstances on or around campus. Reunification procedures ensure all students are properly reunited with parents/guardians in a safe and orderly fashion. This procedure may occur at designated locations on or off campus.