Following last December's tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut, schools across the nation started to examine their own safety plans. Turlock Unified School District also began analyzing their own safety plans at each site, as many parents around the district felt that schools could use higher safety precautions.

This Tuesday evening, the TUSD Board of Trustees will hear the results of that analysis, with an updated safety plan that may include higher fencing and identification badges.

The school district has been working closely with groups of parents, district staff, and Turlock Police Chief Rob Jackson to create a new school safety plan and more stringent safety measures.

Earlier this year, Turlock resident and law enforcement officer Vince Hooper videotaped himself walking around his daughter’s elementary school while pointing out deficiencies in security. Although many of Hoopers’ concerns have since been addressed, the district felt it was necessary to continue to look into ways to improve safety measures at each campus.

“In light of everything that has happened, I don’t think we can afford to say anything is frivolous or that we can’t afford it,” said TUSD Trustee Frank Lima at a January meeting. “We need to ensure that our students and teachers feel they’re safe.”

Alongside the update on the TUSD Comprehensive School Safety Plans, the TUSD Board of Trustees is also scheduled to hear information on the following items:
– A resolution ordering board member elections on Nov. 5
– An overview and adoption of the 2013-14 TUSD Budget
– A review of how the TUSD Strategic Plan has progressed since 2009
– A new job description for a Network Systems Supervisor in the Department of Technology and Data Systems

The TUSD Board of Trustees meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the TUSD Professional Development Center located at 1100 Cahill Ave., Turlock.