Duncanville ISD Police Department wants to provide Duncanville ISD parents, students, volunteers, and visitors with information on district safety programs and links to helpful resources. Additional links suggested can be used as additional information and resources that may be helpful to our parents and should not be considered an endorsement of any organization, service, or program. The safety, health, and well-being of Duncanville ISD students, staff, volunteers, and visitors is a top priority. This page is still under construction as the district continues to pull together additional resources.

In the spring of 2010, the district hired National School Safety and Security Services to conduct a comprehensive district-wide school security assessment. The district entered into this agreement at the request of the Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees. This expert national safety team was asked to assist the district in identifying positive school safety strategies currently in place, and to make recommendations for strengthening the district's safety, security, and emergency preparedness efforts.

The Safety Assessment included 140 diverse individual interviews, site visits and walk-through evaluations of all district facilities, a community forum, and a formal review of various safety documents. In the final assessment report, the National School Safety and Security Services identified 45 positive measures already in place within Duncanville ISD to promote school safety.

Helpful Links

National Suicide Prevention Hotline     National School Safety Center Bullying Fact Sheets

Stop Bullying Now       Stop Cyberbullying

Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use         i-SAFE, The leader in e-Safety Education

National Fire Protection Association 

Safety Procedures

The district wants to ensure that students and staff are safe and secure at all times. Specific district-wide steps have been taken to meet these needs:

• Code of Conduct - This document outlines the guidelines, infractions, and consequences that govern students while they are under the supervision of the district.
• Visitors are required to sign in at all campuses.
• Visitor badges are issued to parents and guests.
• All outside entrances, other than the main entrance, are secure at all times. Crash bars allow students to exit from the building, but the entrance from outside is limited.
• School Resource Officers, peace officers with the Dallas County Schools, are stationed at Reed and Kennemer middle schools, Summit Education Center, and Duncanville High School. These officers assist those campuses as needed and will also help other campuses as required.
• All staff members wear identification badges.
• Emergency radio systems are installed on each campus.
• Closed-circuit video monitoring system

Extra safety features have been added at all secondary schools (grades 7-12):

• All students are issued identification badges that must be visible on their person at all times.
• Campuses have been given hand-held metal detectors.

Duncanville High School:

• Parking lot attendants.
• Metal detectors are stationed at DHS and the Summit but are portable, so they can be used at other campuses as needed.

Background Checks

Duncanville ISD conducts criminal background checks on all employees. In addition, the state of Texas now requires a background check on all vendors or contracted service providers who will come in direct contact with students. This includes private tutors or instructors, occupational therapists, school photographers, etc. The district also conducts background checks on all volunteers. We ask all visitors to Duncanville ISD facilities to comply with visitor check-in procedures. We follow these rules and regulations to help ensure the safety of all students.

Cellphone-Free Driving Zones

The Duncanville City Council has adopted an ordinance restricting hand-held telephones, emailing, and texting devices while driving in school zones. Violators could face penalties and fines.

Fire and Weather Drills

Duncanville ISD conducts regular fire drills throughout the school year at each school. One-half of these drills must be performed as a 'fire with an obstructed pathway,' and each year, the Duncanville Fire Department is present for at least one of the scheduled fire drills. The Fire Department will also make one unscheduled visit to each campus to conduct a fire drill. Tornado drills are scheduled during September, December, February, and April. The district may schedule other training as needed.

Grief Counseling

Duncanville ISD school counselors are trained in grief recovery and provide extensive support services in the event of a student or staff death or serious illness. Grief recovery is essential to the healing process and can encompass emotional, physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions. When a school experiences the loss of a student or staff member, our counseling team remains on-site as needed. Areas of the school are designated to provide counseling services, and bell schedules may be altered or suspended to accommodate needs. Below are helpful documents and links to online grief recovery resources.

• Talking with Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers by the National Association of School Psychologists
• Tips for Supporting Children and Youth After a Crisis Event by the National Association of School Psychologists
• Coping with a traumatic event - for children
• Coping with a traumatic event - for parents
• Coping with a traumatic event - for teachers
• Death and Grief by Teens Health Nemours
• The Grief Recovery Method by The Grief Recovery Institute

Visitor Guidelines

As part of the district’s commitment to community partnerships and the safety and security of our schools, the following district-wide Campus Visitor Guidelines have been adopted:

1. All visitors must report to the school office, sign in, provide a photo ID, state their reason for being on campus, and obtain approval from the campus principal or his/her designee. Most of the district’s schools use a check-in system called Raptor, a visitor management and screening technology that works in conjunction with law enforcement.
2. All visitors shall wear a visitor name badge provided by the school office.
3. All visitors are requested to wear appropriate attire, as determined by the principal or designee, when visiting district schools.
4. Media representatives shall arrange visits to school campuses with the Office of Communications and Public Relations (972-708-2015).

The above list is not complete; a comprehensive list of Visitor Guidelines can be found HERE.