Admin

School Safety

School Safety

Orange County Public Schools is committed to providing a safe learning and working environment for its students, parents, employees, and visitors. A safe environment is critical to successful learning and student success. While many of our safety and security policies are classified, the district is always evaluating and finding ways to improve school safety programming. 

Click on any heading below to see safety topics from multiple OCPS departments.

SECURITY

After the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, Orange County Public Schools conducted a districtwide security risk and vulnerability assessment of all schools. The expert consultants conducted a followup assessment in March 2018 and concluded "In our opinion, OCPS has aggressively, proactively, and professionally confronted the topic of school safety in a manner that stands out to our analysts as among the most impressive efforts of this type we have seen during our assessment projects for more than 6,750 K-12 schools."

District Police

The work of OCPS District Police is enhanced through very close partnerships with local public safety agencies that includes increased communication, collaboration, and information-sharing among the agencies. More...

Visitors

Anyone visiting an OCPS campus is required to sign in using a districtwide visitor management system. Visitors are required to show a government-issued photo ID, and the system checks individuals against a national sex-offender registry. More...

Weapons Screenings

Throughout the year District Police conducts random weapons screenings at schools across the district.

Student Health

Orange County Public Schools provides health care services throughout the District delivered by advanced nurse practitioners, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and school health aides/health room assistants. More...

Mental Health Services

OCPS has a team of Licensed Mental Health Counselors to support our schools. More...

Food Allergies

Food and Nutrition Services provides reasonable accommodations for students with allergies who notify us by returning the Special Diet order form.  

 

Thunder Storms

Weather Delayed Dismissal Procedure
In the event of thunderstorms, students will not be dismissed when lightning is indicated within a six mile radius of the school until 30 minutes have passed from the last strike within the radius. 

  • Busses won't be loaded.
  • Car riders, bikers, and walkers will not be released.
  • An adult may go inside to retrieve a child.  However, the adult must be on the student's Emergency Data Card and have a valid ID.
  • Buses will be loaded and students released when the weather has cleared.

Parents are notified of delayed dismissal via the ConnectOrange automated phone system.

Hurricanes

The OCPS Safety and Emergency Management Department actively monitors the National Hurricane Center throughout the year. In the event of a storm threatening Central Florida, the district communicates with parents and staff through the following sources:

  • ConnectOrange automated phone system
  • District/school websites
  • Social media (Facebook/Twitter)
  • Local media outlets (TV and Radio)

Tornadoes

Schools conduct 7 emergency drills per year, 9 active assailant drills, and two  severe weather drills in 2018-19 school year (total 18) due to new FL statutes resulting from the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas Act and FL SB 7026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions for Parents about student safety at schools.

Frequently Asked Questions for Students about school safety.