Keeping your child safe
The Ferguson-Florissant School District (FFSD) has plans and procedures in place to protect your child and communicate with you in the event of an emergency. Our security department works with school staff, local law enforcement and other public health and safety leaders to make our campuses safe places to learn.

To protect our students and staff, all FFSD schools are outfitted with electronic security systems including burglar alarms, digital video recorders and access controls. More than 500 security cameras monitor the interiors and exteriors of buildings throughout the District.

If you have any questions or security concerns, contact our security department at 506-9037 between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. After hours, please call 314-541-3569.

School closings and delays
As with inclement weather, occasionally other types of incidents may require us to cancel classes, open schools late, or close them early. An emergency might affect the entire school system or, more frequently, just a small number of schools (as in a gas leak, water outage or power loss). In such a situation, the following plan goes into effect:

• Our crisis team will monitor and manage the situation.
• The District website and Facebook page will carry the announcement of the closing, delay or early dismissal.
• Depending on the number of schools affected, either the emergency phone system will contact all affected parents, or the email notification service will be activated to inform subscribers of the situation.
• We will notify media outlets.
• If classes are canceled or dismissed early, all athletic and extracurricular events at the affected schools are canceled.
• Community Education, 21^st Century and YClub evening programs operate on a different schedule; any change will be announced separately.
• Before-school programs will start on a delayed schedule. After-school programs will operate from an early dismissal to the regular closing time. Neither program will operate if school is closed.

Incidents on or near school campuses
Our school system has set up emergency plans for each school and administrative site. Each school has an Emergency Response Team that focuses on prevention and reaction to incidents, and a Crisis Intervention Team that provides support to students and staff after an incident.

If there is a potential threat or unsafe situation to a school, the school will take the following alert measures to protect students, staff and visitors.

• If there is an immediate threat to a school, a lockdown will be issued. Students will be moved into safe areas, and all interior doors will be locked.
• If there is something in the community that may pose a threat to the school, such as a bank robbery or police chase in the neighborhood, a shelter-in-place/continue to teach will be issued. All outdoor activities will stop and students will move into the building. We will lock outer doors and prohibit movement between buildings, but all other activities will continue as normal.

When the incident passes, an all-clear message will be announced, ending the alert period.

CUBES - Safety and Security Plan

As part of the District’s comprehensive safety and security plan, all Pre-K through 12th grade students are required to have clear book bags. As done in the past, when the District implemented clear bookbags for other grade levels, the District will provide the initial clear bookbag for Pre-K and Kindergarten students for the 2024-25 school year. The safety and security plan, called CUBES, stands for clear Communication, clear understanding, clear Bookbags, clear expectations, and clear Support.

CUBES stands for the following five points of the plan:

The C is for Clear Communication 

We are committed to keeping open lines of communication with students, parents, and staff.  We know good communication is two-way communication.  We commit to keeping you informed and listening to you.  If you have questions regarding any aspect of the safety and security plan, please email vhowze@fergflor.org.

U is for Clear Understanding

We will have additional SROs in our secondary schools.  They will focus on building relationships and educating our students about safety, the students’ role as citizens, and how to communicate and collaborate to have safe schools.

The B is for Clear Bookbags. 

The District requires clear book bags and small zippered pouches to conceal personal items or valuables for all K-12 students. K through 12th-grade students will only be permitted to use clear book bags starting with the first day of school on Monday, August 21.  Students will not be permitted to carry purses/cross-body bags or "fanny packs."

E stands for Clear Expectations. 

We have revised our Student Expectation Code to create a more restorative environment for our students while clearly communicating our expectations.  

S is for Clear Supports. 

We will continue to use Courage2Report and  PSSTWorld.com as tools for reporting safety and security concerns, and we will expand our use of Ci3T to provide comprehensive, integrated Three-Tiered supports for students.  We are expanding Advisory, and each secondary student will have an advisor to serve as an advocate and guide. Our students also have the support of counselors, social workers, teachers, administrators, and others.

As part of the District’s comprehensive safety and security plan, all Pre-K through 12 grade students are required to have clear book bags. The safety and security plan called CUBES stands for clear Communication, clear understanding, clear Bookbags, clear expectations, and clear Supports.

Bookbag requirement for grades K-12:

• Clear Bookbags ( 16 in. tall x 12 in. wide x 6 in deep)
• Small pouch/wristlet for personal items if needed (5.5 in. x 4 in. and does not have to be clear)

Student purchased bookbags must meet the following specifications:

● The bookbag must be at least 16 inches tall X 12 inches wide X 6 inches deep

● The bookbag must be completely clear, with the exception of the straps, zippers, and small manufacturer label

● Transparent but tinted or opaque bookbags are not permitted

● Logos, stickers, or other attachments that obstruct the view into the bookbag are not permitted

● Mesh may only cover a side pouch but may not cover the whole bookbag

● No bookbag or bag may be worn under a coat or jacket

Below are links to approved bookbags and some examples of bookbags that are acceptable and others that are not acceptable.

Links to some samples of approved bookbags:

Click here.

Centegix Staff Badges

At Ferguson-Florissant School District, the safety and security of our students and staff is a top priority. That is why FFSD continues to invest in new technology and security measures that enhance safety across the district, including the new CrisisAlert staff badges through Centegix.

How does it work?

The CrisisAlert badges serve as a silent panic alert system. Teachers and staff will be able to call for help with the push of a button on the badge they wear daily.

When an alert is activated by pushing the button on the badge, administrators and local police can see who pushed the button and the location so they can send immediate help.

There are two types of alerts staff can initiate.

• Staff Alert: Three clicks of the badge initiates a Staff Alert. This is an individual call for help that might include medical emergencies or the immediate need for administrators or emergency personnel.

• Campuswide Alert: Multiple and continuous clicks of the badge initiates a campus Active Intruder Lockdown. Through this new safety feature, our campuses and buildings are now equipped with strobe lights that flash and an intercom announcement that lets our students and staff know that an active intruder is in the building.