AUSD Uses Facilities, Training, Mental Health to Help Prevent School Tragedies

Given last week’s news of yet another school shooting—this time in Georgia—the following is a review of the steps that Alameda Unified School District ( AUSD ) has taken to increase campus security and refine our crisis response protocols.

Gun violence at a school is nearly incomprehensible for most of us, but as a public school district we value student safety above all else, and have dedicated significant time and resources to securing our campuses. These efforts focus primarily on facilities, training, and mental health services.

AUSD’s two facilities bonds—Measure I and Measure B—have funded improved fencing, single points of entry, and new door locks at all of our school sites. Last year, AUSD also committed to improving fencing at both Alameda High School and Encinal Jr. & Sr. High School ; construction on those projects is expected to begin within the next few months. We also have been installing more cameras at our sites so that in the event of an emergency we can monitor and respond to what’s happening in real time.

All of our schools hold active shooter drills annually. In June of this year, district leadership participated in a tabletop drill with the Alameda Police Department and the Alameda Fire Department to review crisis response protocols. We followed that in early August with a full day of training and exercises with first responders for all AUSD principals and assistant principals.

Over the last several years, AUSD also has invested millions of dollars in expanded mental health services for our students, which we hope can prevent the kind of emotional spiral that can lead young people to hurt themselves or others. A new statewide initiative may soon allow us to expand school-based mental health supports even further via reimbursements from commercial health plans.

In addition, at its August 13 public meeting, the Board of Education passed a Resolution and Letter in Support of Gun Violence Prevention, which declared the Board’s support for Senate Bill 899. That bill, proposed by Senators Nancy Skinner and Catherine Blakespear and unanimously approved by the Legislature on August 30, will make it easier for the courts to ensure that people who are deemed a threat to themselves or others no longer have access to firearms.

“Alameda Unified School District supports SB 899 as a vital measure to advance gun violence prevention and enhance the safety of our students and staff,” the resolution reads. “We believe that supporting this legislation will contribute significantly to creating a more secure and supportive educational environment.”

The full resolution is available to read online at the Board of Education’s Resolution 2024-2025.04 and Letter in Support of Gun Violence Prevention (SB 899) .

Susan Davis is the Senior Manager of Community Affairs for the Alameda Unified School District. Reach her at sdavis@alamedaunified.org .

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