Local opinion: Safety measures are a top priority at CFSD

Dear Catalina Foothills residents and friends,

Great news, our beloved District 16 schools are extremely safe! Contrary to the neighborhood signage and recent opinion piece by Dan Grossenbach, rampant violence and campus safety risks causing “alarming withdrawal rates” are misguided untruths and are merely a prescriptive part of his team’s fearmongering for their “Save” CFSD school board candidacy campaign.

As a deeply committed parent volunteer, I have spent over a dozen years working directly with our district-wide administrators, staff, and families. I have served at all eight school campuses, the district offices, and even at our bus depot as a function of these many varied and active volunteer roles. And the best news of all is that I can attest to the fact that our district-wide leadership, staff members, students, bus drivers, and families all agree that school safety is not only foundational but truly vital to our success.

Detailed Facts of CFSD’s Foresight and Commitment to Student Safety:

• In 2022-23, CFSD hired a school security firm to conduct a comprehensive assessment of each campus and to make recommendations for enhancing security infrastructure.
• Five million dollars was allocated for district-wide safety upgrades, including new office areas, perimeter fencing, video surveillance, and single-point entries. This work was completed before the start of this school year.
• Some security measures remain confidential for safety reasons, in compliance with Arizona law.
• CFSD has partnered with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department to provide full-time School Resource Officers at our middle schools and high school, with each of the elementary schools being served as needed.
• School administrators and counselors are being trained in the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, the model adopted by law enforcement, to ensure that communication will be fluid and readily understood.
• On Oct. 22, the CFSD governing board approved the purchase of the Centegix security system, wearable safety technology, which will directly enhance emergency response times across all campuses. CFSD is the first district in Pima County to adopt this advanced technology.
• Throughout October, CFSD has collaborated with Pima County Sheriff’s Department in hosting safety sessions at each school campus to educate families about the safety protocols and provide guidance on best practices in responding to potential or actual threats.
• At the high school’s session, PCSD Lt. William Farmer praised CFSD administration for their proactive approach to security. He expressed confidence in the stringent safety protocols and community support structures CFSD has adopted.
• The PCSD officers also discussed another component of school safety; that is, students having positive and trusting relationships with adults on campus (teachers, counselors, school resource officers.) CFSD expanded the number of counselors at each school and adopted a proactive counseling curriculum, adding another layer of protection against violence.
• Finally, CFSD uses a fully unified communication tool to keep parents informed, and in the case of emergency, urgent alerts will override any communication preferences previously set.

All of this demonstrates that safety remains a cornerstone of CFSD’s mission. Having recently attended the community safety session at Catalina Foothills High School (with Dan Grossenbach), it was made clear to us by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department that CFSD’s safety, like our academics, is also getting a district-wide all ‘A’ rating. These prestigious, repeat awards are no accident and are a solid recognition of CFSD’s steady leadership and unwavering commitment to educational excellence, student achievement, and community partnership. You, the Catalina Foothills residents, have come together with us year after year to pass the proposed bonds and overrides, which significantly help fund these necessary safety tools and plans. We thank you immensely for the continued support to keep our neighborhood schools thriving.

Have no fear, Catalina Foothills School District is strong and safe.