October 3, 2025

Each year, Hughson Unified School District holds special meetings focused on safety throughout the district. First, at the beginning of the fall semester, an overview or more general approach at the district level, and second, at the beginning of the spring semester, to take a deep dive, looking specifically at each of Hughson’s five school sites. The meetings include representatives from each school: an administrator, a teacher or staff member, such as a paraprofessional, parents of students at that site and, if appropriate, students.

On September 25, Eric Petersen, Director of Student Services, led the fall meeting of the District Safety Committee. The meeting included an overview of District safety, had opportunities for attendees to give feedback, facts to know about HUSD, the District’s Safety Plan and Goals, how the District addresses the different categories of safety, and a look at systems, programs and personnel.

Petersen shared that students undergo and practice scheduled drills throughout the month and year, including lockdown, earthquake and shelter-in-place drills. Drills may be announced or unannounced, maximizing the opportunity to integrate the sense of what to do.

Annual campus safety walks are conducted to assess physical facility safety and improvements. Security walks are conducted and reviewed with law enforcement.

Central Region School Insurance Group offers incentives and leftover funds back to schools that make fewer claims. Through these benefits, Hughson Unified School District has purchased folding machines, fire extinguishers, and been able to fund general repairs.

District and school site safety goals fall into three different categories: school and physical safety, school climate safety, and anti-bullying.

Knowing the challenges facing youth today, an important type of school safety that the District has worked hard to address is mental and social health. The interventions are many across campuses and district-wide and include a Social Emotional Curriculum, Pack Time, PBIS interventions at multiple tiers, Cyber Civility Curriculum, Life of a Husky at Hughson High School, Where Everyone Belongs (WEB) at Ross Middle School, Hazel HEART for remote counseling, schools clubs and organizations, access to school counselors, Substance Abuse Specialists, and mental health clinicians, grief support from Jessica’s House, the district wide mentoring program, Lunch Bunch, Husky Dens and Wellness Rooms at RMS and HHS, NAMI and Minds Matter, MSW Interns from CSUS, District Psychologists, and clear ways to request assistance on the District Website.

To assess the physical safety of Hughson’s school sites, the District considers safe working conditions such as fencing and ramps, employee working conditions, facility and infrastructure such as water filtration, HVAC, and electrical, cyber security, and camera systems that aid in prevention and, when needed, investigations. Updates made possible through Measure B are helping to address identified issues such as the steepness of the stadium ramp and outdated or inadequate HVAC systems.

On many people’s minds is the issue of security.

Petersen asked those present to give their anonymous feedback through surveys included in the presentation. When asked, “What are you most concerned about at school?” attendees reported their top three concerns out of 21 were “school intruder,” “gun violence,” and “barriers in the office.”

This safety category includes emergency procedures, protocols and practice drills, and collaborations with law enforcement, such as in the security walk and other visits, campus supervisors and Knox boxes. It also includes the Raptor System, which quickly screens visitors and will alert the attendant if the visitor is listed on specific databases before they can enter campus, and the Stop-It System, which provides for anonymous reports of bullying or abuse.

The district develops an overarching safety plan, supporting the district office and the sites; and each individual site builds its own unique plan, specific to the needs of its students and its population.

At the end of the meeting, attendees were asked to answer the degree to which they are satisfied or dissatisfied with how the Hughson Unified School District is doing. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being “I don’t agree at all” and 10 being “I completely agree” participants reported an average of above 9 for all: satisfaction with the District’s communication (9.6, 9.3), parent and student awareness of resources (9.2), district partnerships with first responders (9.9), trust that the District is doing a good job (9.7), and overall satisfaction (9.3).

The spring meeting will brainstorm new District goals for the next year and provide an opportunity to consider and give feedback on how individual sites are doing.