We thank you for your continued trust, support, and dedication to Phoenix Union. We remain more committed than ever to the safety of all students, staff, families, and visitors who enter our campuses.

The broader PXU community experienced a wide range of emotions on Friday following the response by the Phoenix Police Department to reports of a firearm or even a possible active shooter at Central High School. PXU extends its gratitude to Phoenix Police and Phoenix Fire for their partnership last week. We are fully aware that the sights and sounds from Friday’s lockdown have shaken staff, students, and families across the District. As our nation responds to the growing number of school threats, disruptions, and life-threatening events, we find ourselves in the center of the lived experiences of our students and staff, recovering from the emotions that the incident on Friday caused.

The safety systems we have in place work. We saw clear evidence of that at Central. Despite the size and scale of the reaction, and the police response, there were only three individuals who required heat- related medical attention, and one student sustained a hand injury from an incident that occurred before the lockdown. Ultimately, there was no active shooter, and no students or staff sustained injuries connected to a weapon on campus or the emergency response.

Even with the absence of physical injuries, Friday was traumatic. We heard from several Central High School and Phoenix Coding Academy students and families on Friday evening and again on Saturday. There is fear and frustration. There is anger and anxiety. Staff, students, and parents have increasing concerns about school safety in general - not just in Phoenix Union but nationwide. Increased access to firearms and illegal substances, as well as the disruptions caused by social media threats and posts of violent acts, make school safety procedures and policies more important than ever.

Phoenix Union has recently made historic investments in a new Safety Division. We have a comprehensive, 16-point safety plan known as PXU Next Gen Safety and Security that guides our work. We have large school safety teams on every campus. We have added new safety personnel and significantly increased safety training for staff. We continue to improve safety infrastructure, from fencing to door locks to safety technology. We are vigilant with our emergency plans, drills, and threat management.

We take all threats seriously and investigate them fully, just like Friday’s events continue to be investigated. We have a detailed student Code of Conduct that outlines prevention, intervention, and consequences for disruptive behavior. We maintain a close working relationship with the Phoenix Police and Phoenix Fire Departments to ensure that we are prepared for all campus and community incidents, large and small.

We continue to learn, prepare, and improve our safety procedures. Friday’s events taught us a lot. We learned where we are strong, and we learned where we can improve. Students and families praised the

quick response, the ability to lock doors quickly and safely, the upgraded fencing, intercoms, and cameras, the multiple parent and community communications, and the decision-making that led to no injuries. We also learned that the timeliness of our initial communication needs to be improved, that the reunification and parent pick-up process should be revisited, and that setting clearer expectations for students during and after a lockdown is necessary, to name a few.

At Central tomorrow, staff, students, and parents will return with many questions and a need for social- emotional support. We have restructured Monday’s schedule at Central so that all staff and students will have space and time to process Friday’s events. We ask that students who need extra support, reassurance, or assistance reach out to their campus counselor or social worker.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we cannot do this work alone. Every school in Phoenix Union has a safety committee comprised of staff, students, and families. We encourage you to reach out to your school’s administration to find out how you can get more involved.

Our Governing Board also has launched a district-wide safety committee. You will soon receive more information about how you can share your experiences and suggestions for improvement with this committee. Our Board is calling on our entire community to participate so that all voices can be heard.

Finally, on this, the 21st anniversary of 9/11, the safety of our community, our loved ones, and even ourselves must continue to be our highest priority. If you have any suggestions, concerns, or recommendations about ways in which we can improve school safety, and even community safety near our campuses, please email us at Safety@PhoenixUnion.org.

una estrecha relación con la policía y los bomberos de Phoenix para estar preparados para todos los incidentes del plantel y la comunidad, ya sean grandes o pequeños.

Continuamos aprendiendo, preparando y mejorando nuestros procedimientos de seguridad. Los eventos del viernes nos enseñaron bastante. Aprendimos donde estamos fuertes y aprendimos donde necesitamos mejoramiento. Los estudiantes y padres de familia elogiaron nuestra rápida respuesta, la habilidad de cerrar las puertas de forma rápida y segura, nuestras cercas mejoradas, sistemas de intercomunicación, cámaras, las múltiples comunicaciones a los padres y comunidad y las decisiones tomadas que se condujeron a que no hubiera heridos. También aprendimos que la puntualidad de nuestra comunicación inicial necesita mejoramiento, que el proceso de reunificación con los padres debe revisarse, y que es necesario establecer expectativas más claras para los estudiantes durante y después del cierre/lockdown de una escuela.

Mañana en Central High School, el personal, estudiantes y padres de familia regresarán con muchas preguntas y con la necesidad de apoyo socioemocional. Hemos reestructurado el horario de clases para el lunes para que el personal y los estudiantes de la escuela tengan lugar y tiempo para procesar los eventos del viernes. Pedimos que los estudiantes que necesiten apoyo extra, reafirmación u otro tipo de asistencia hablen con su consejero escolar o trabajador social.

La seguridad es responsabilidad de todos y no podemos hacer este trabajo solos. Cada escuela en Phoenix Union tiene un comité de seguridad compuesto por personal, estudiantes y padres de familia. Les animamos a que llamen a la administración de su escuela para ver cómo pueden estar más involucrados.

Nuestra mesa directiva también ha lanzado un comité de seguridad a nivel distrito. Prontamente recibirán información sobre cómo pueden compartir sus experiencias y sugerencias de mejoramiento con este comité. Nuestra mesa directiva le pide a toda nuestra comunidad que participe para que todas las voces sean escuchadas.

Finalmente, en este 21 aniversario del 9/11, la seguridad de nuestra comunidad, de nuestros seres queridos, e incluso nuestra propia seguridad debe seguir siendo nuestra máxima prioridad. Si tienen sugerencias, inquietudes o recomendaciones sobre como podemos mejorar la seguridad escolar e incluso la seguridad de la comunidad, por favor envíennos un correo electrónico a Safety@PhoenixUnion.org.