All Poudre School District schools will participate in Lockdown Drill Week between Nov. 12 and 15 as part of the district’s ongoing safety and security efforts. During the drill, students and staff are directed to a safe location inside the building. Exterior and interior doors, windows, and access points are closed and locked.
Schools won’t know beforehand when their school’s specific drill is set to occur during the week. At the start of a drill, school staff will announce that a lockdown drill is underway. They will emphasize that it is only a drill and that there is not an active threat to the school.
You can also expect to see a heavier-than-usual law enforcement presence at the schools when drills occur. PSD is hosting the drills in partnership with multiple law enforcement agencies. After the drill, school staff, members of PSD’s Security Department, and law enforcement officers will review how things went.
PSD follows national best practices so that drills are conducted in a manner that’s age appropriate and considers the impact of trauma. However, if your student(s) has experienced feeling stressed because of past drills, we encourage you to reach out to your school, so staff are aware and can talk with you about the ways your child may be supported. If you want to opt your child out of the lockdown drill next week, please contact your school’s front office and ask to speak with the office manager, who will assist with that process.
You can find more information on the PSD Safety and Security web page. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and participating in these drills together builds upon our shared culture of safety.