New technology could become an important tool in keeping Cedar Rapids schools safe

CEDAR RAPIDS — Technology that can alert in real-time in an emergency could become an important tool in keeping Cedar Rapids schools safe.

The Cedar Rapids school board is considering approving a contract with a safety tool called CrisisGo, which helps schools prepare for a crisis and recover afterward.

The technology — which can be accessed through an application on a smartphone — enables school and law enforcement officials to monitor and track suspicious activity in real time, Cedar Rapids schools’ safe and secure learning coordinator Janessa Carr said in a presentation to the school board this month. Through the system, staff or students can send alerts to school officials and law enforcement officers in the event of a crisis.

“If you don’t have a system like CrisisGo, you’re relying on text messages or for someone to call you, and that’s not realistic for a district of this size,” Carr said in an interview with The Gazette. “We need something where the superintendent, police and school leaders are able to see what is happening and know where students, staff and parents are. Decisions can be made a lot quicker.”

Ensuring safe and secure learning environments is one facet of the school district’s strategic plan — approved in September — that also aims to improve academic achievement, close opportunity gaps, improve retention and recruitment of staff and build trust and credibility with families and the community.

In CrisisGo, if there is a school threat, school staff can mark students’ attendance, whether they are safe or unsafe, if they’ve been put in the care of a parent or guardian and, if so, who that person is, and can allow staff to confirm by taking a picture of the person’s driver’s license or even a video, Carr said. Families of students would have access to CrisisGo also.

In an emergency at school, middle or high school students might choose to go home if they live within walking distance, Carr said. They could use CrisisGo to communicate with staff they’re safe.

The school district also can customize categories to report risks to school leaders in real time. For example, students can select the topic saying they are “concerned about a peer,” alerting a teacher that someone needs to check in with that student.

“If a student receives a message from their friend at 2:30 a.m. saying they’re suicidal, we want a way for students to tell us that. It’s always good when kids are reporting things. We don’t want to create a barrier for them,” Carr said.

Using that example, Carr said students also need to know when to notify parents, call emergency services or Foundation 2 Crisis Services, which provides free, 24/7 crisis support for anyone experiencing a mental health or suicide-related situation or concern.

Carr said while school officials wouldn’t be able to respond to a report in the middle of the night, it’s helpful to be able to take action in the morning about the concern.

Students wouldn’t be able to submit questions about homework, for example, because that isn’t a category that would be included in CrisisGo, Carr said.

A message can be sent to all relevant users via text, phone call and email in the event of an emergency.

Although the system currently cannot translate messages into different languages, that can be done in-house by the school district’s communication department, Carr said.

Carr said she used the technology when she was a school counselor in the Linn-Mar Community School District. CrisisGo is used in more than 16,000 schools in all 50 states.

As of Monday evening, school officials had not provided The Gazette with a cost estimate to the district if CrisisGo were to be adopted. The school board could approve a contract with CrisisGo as early as January. School administrators could receive training in April. Teachers and other school staff would be trained in May, and students and families would be trained in August.

The school board Monday also approved moving forward with gathering requests for proposals for consulting services and facilitation of the school district’s safety advisory council. The estimated cost will be announced based on the proposals received.

According to board documents, the consultant would work with the school district to develop a strategic plan in progressive discipline and restorative practices, which focuses on preventing conflict and encouraging students to accept responsibility and rebuild relationships after conflict occurs.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com