RICHFIELD, OHIO, April 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 school safety and student wellness solutions, is recognizing nine school districts with their “District Excellence for School Safety & Student Wellness” award. Presented with honors during National Youth Violence Prevention Week, this recognition acknowledges each district’s leadership, commitment to elevated standards and continued dedication to creating safe spaces where children can experience each school day without fear.
Nationwide, there is heightened concern around acts of violence in schools. There have been 14 school shootings resulting in injuries or death in 2023 to date. Additionally, Navigate360 data show alerts related to self-harm are up 51 percent year-over-year and alerts related to weapons and harm to others are up 25 percent year-over-year. On average, the report also found more than 4,000 anonymous tips per week come into school tip lines, with the most common tips related to self-harm and weapons. These statistics reinforce the larger, underlying issues behind recent national headlines related to bullying, self-harm and violent critical incidents on school campuses.
To combat growing trends and increased concerns, K–12 districts across the country are working tirelessly to create and maintain safe environments for their staff and students. Founded on this shared set of values, Navigate360 is proud to partner with more than 30,000 schools (1 in 4 across the US) on their commitment to these efforts and recognizes these “District Excellence for School Safety & Student Wellness” awardees for going above and beyond— leading the way through the implementation of holistic, layered and proactive approaches:
- Birdville Independent School District (Texas)
- Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (Texas)
- Escambia County School District (Florida)
- Jefferson Joint School District 251 (Idaho)
- North Shore School District (Illinois)
- Northwest Independent School District (Texas)
- Round Rock Independent School District (Texas)
- Visalia Unified School District (California)
- Walton County School District (Florida)
“School safety is a multi-faceted and complex topic—it requires a layered approach, coordination with the community, repeated assessments, training and drills. Physically, psychologically and emotionally our children need to feel safe if they are to pursue academic learning and reach their full potential,” said JP Guilbault, Chief Executive Officer at Navigate360. “Each of these districts is leading by example by way of their commitment to students and staff in addressing mental health and school culture through curricula that develop life skills; applying technology and education to identify, assess and remediate threats and concerning behavior before it is harmful or criminal; and developing strong school safety plans and providing incident-based training, for all-hazard events, including active shooter situations,” he continued.
To highlight these recognitions, Navigate360 is meeting with leaders at each school district throughout National Youth Violence Prevention Week and presenting the award.
“Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (CFISD) proudly accepts this recognition from Navigate360,” said Dr. Mark Henry, CFISD Superintendent of Schools. “This is a shared honor by our emergency management, CFISD police, psychological services and facilities/construction departments, whose proactive approach toward protecting students and staff has made CFISD campuses among the safest in the state.”
Dr. Joseph Showell, Executive Director of Student Services at Birdville Independent School District (BISD) in Haltom City, Texas added, “We rely on accurate communication to prevent or mitigate any crisis. The solutions offered within the Navigate360 Behavioral Threat Assessment & Suicide Case Management system provide the ability to evaluate and support student needs. The solutions presented by Navigate360 Emergency Management Suite offer BISD the chance to account for staff and students in a quick and efficient manner. We appreciate having these time-saving measures.”
Key pillars of creating safe and secure learning environments through a holistic and layered approach include culture and climate, threat assessment and intervention, as well as safety management and preparedness. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach, this includes solutions to reinforce positive behaviors, develop life skills and proactively help students struggling behaviorally; solutions dedicated to early detection, assessment and management of potential threats to ensure they are addressed in a timely manner; and solutions to keep students and staff safe during all-hazard drills and response preparation for on-campus incidents should they occur. Navigate360 Emergency Management Suite and ALICE Training® are part of the comprehensive solution set that schools must adopt as part of an overarching framework.
"We have all heard the adage ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’ We have found it is also true that it takes a community to keep our children safe,” said Chad Martin, Superintendent of Jefferson Joint School District 251 in Rigby, Idaho. “We are fortunate to have an amazing community full of caring and knowledgeable individuals. It is an honor for our district, community and most importantly, our teachers and staff, to be recognized for their commitment to providing a safe environment for our students. Our staff has been willing to have uncomfortable conversations and stretch themselves with changes to policy and procedures to help our community heal and strengthen safety protocols.”
To learn more about Navigate360 and read what the “District Excellence Awards for School Safety & Student Wellness” recognition means more of these school and district leaders, please visit navigate360.com.
About Navigate360
Navigate360 is the premier provider of safety solutions for schools, leading to enhanced student wellbeing. With more than 20 years of experience, our multifaceted, layered approach—providing everything from curricula that support positive behavior and self-image to campus physical safety and personnel training—focuses on incident prevention. Currently, more than 14 million students are attending schools using Navigate360 solutions. To learn more, visit https://www.navigate360.com.
