Safe schools are important for a positive learning environment. Everyone in the school environment shares the responsibility for safety at school. 

Supervision: Students will be reasonably supervised during school hours, field trips, on school buses, and during school activities. School administrators strictly enforce visitor and volunteer policies to keep students safe. 

Safety of School Buildings and Grounds: The school should be free from hazards. Regular inspections are done to ensure this. Any potential hazards must be reported immediately. 

Addressing Safety Concerns and Emergencies: Staff must always be alert to safety threats. Protocols are in place to prevent accidents and respond to emergencies. Staff and students receive safety training. 

Planning for Emergencies: A school risk management plan is in place for each school. This includes conducting fire drills and other emergency drills. 

Reporting Risks: Students should report any acts of violence, harassment, or bullying or any unusual behavior that may endanger safety. Staff must report any suspicious behavior or acts of violence, harassment, or bullying. 

Potential Threats of Registered Sex Offenders: Each school principal registers with the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry to receive notifications when a registered sex offender moves within a one-mile radius of the school. When there are students who are registered sex offenders, special supervision plans must be put in place. 

Student Behavior Standards: Students are expected to meet district behavior standards. 

For more details, see Board Policy 1510/4200/7270 School Safety. 

Click here for the GCS School Safety and Emergency Management website. 

 

North Carolina law requires that each school have a specific, tailored school safety plan to respond to various types of threats, including those that require evacuation of the building and relocation to a safe reunification site. 

It is important for student safety that these plans are NOT available to the public to ensure that information like school floor plans and evacuation routes are not easy to find. In the event of an emergency, you will be notified as soon as accurate information can be shared.  

Ensuring that your child’s school has accurate mobile phone numbers for you and your emergency contacts is the most important action you can take to keep your child safe. 

Click here for tips for emergency preparedness from GCS. 

 

The Guilford County Board of Education is committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol-free school environment.  

• Education/Prevention Programs: The school will provide education and prevention programs about substance abuse and dependency in the K-12 curriculum.  

• Intervention Procedures: The school will implement appropriate intervention procedures and programs. 

• Referral Procedure: The school will develop a procedure to refer students to appropriate treatment programs within the school or the community. 

• Re-entry Procedure: The school will develop a procedure for students returning to school from non-school based treatment programs. 

• Enforcement of Student Code of Conduct: The school will enforce the Student Code of Conduct as it applies to the possession, sale, distribution, manufacture, dispensing, and/or use of illicit substances or any other unlawful or unauthorized chemical substance or drug paraphernalia. This does not include the lawful and proper use of drugs prescribed by a doctor or over the counter medications. 

For more details, see Board Policy 4325 Drug-free and Alcohol-free School Environment. 

Click here for GCS resources related to drug and alcohol-free schools. 

To ensure a safe school environment, Guilford County Schools has established rules for managing student behavior. School personnel, including employees and contracted individuals, can manage or remove students showing disruptive or dangerous behaviors. The use of corporal punishment is prohibited. 

Reasonable Force: School personnel can use reasonable force in situations such as: 

• Correcting students 

• Preventing disturbances or injuries 

• Obtaining dangerous objects from students 

• Self-defense 

• Protecting people or property 

• Maintaining order 

Seclusion and Restraint: These methods are not used on students with disabilities unless authorized by the student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. For more information on IEPs and 504 plans, see GCS Student Services.

• Physical Restraint: This is the use of physical force to restrict a student's movement. It can be used in certain circumstances, like obtaining dangerous objects from a student, maintaining order, self-defense, ensuring safety, teaching a skill, calming a student, preventing self-injurious behavior, escorting a student safely, or preventing property destruction. 

• Mechanical Restraint: This involves using a device to restrict a student's movement. It can be used in certain situations, like when used as an assistive technology device included in the student’s IEP, Section 504 plan, or behavior intervention plan, securing a student during transportation, obtaining dangerous objects from a student, self-defense, or ensuring safety. 

• Seclusion: This is the confinement of a student alone in an enclosed space. It can be used in certain circumstances, like responding to a person in control of a weapon or other dangerous object, maintaining order, self-defense, when a student’s behavior poses a threat of imminent physical harm to self or others or imminent substantial destruction of school or another person’s property, or when used as specified in the student’s IEP, Section 504 plan, or behavior intervention plan. 

• Isolation: This is a behavior management technique in which a student is placed alone in an enclosed space from which the student is not prevented from leaving. 

• Time-Out: This is a behavior management technique in which a student is separated from other students for a limited period in a monitored setting. 

Aversive Procedures: These are physical or sensory interventions for modifying the behavior of a student with a disability that cause or may cause significant physical harm, serious and foreseeable long-term psychological impairment, or obvious repulsion on the part of observers. The use of aversive procedures is prohibited. 

Notice, Reporting, and Documentation: School personnel must promptly notify the principal or designee of any use of aversive procedures, prohibited use of mechanical restraint, use of physical restraint resulting in observable physical injury to a student, prohibited use of seclusion, or any seclusion exceeding 10 minutes or the amount of time specified in a student’s behavior intervention plan. Parents will be notified and provided with a written incident report. 

For more details, see Administrative Regulation 1510/4200/7270-R Seclusion and Restraint in Schools. 

The Guilford County Board of Education is committed to promoting student wellness, proper nutrition, and regular physical activity. The School Health Advisory Council helps to implement and monitor wellness in the district. The School Health Advisory Council is an advisory group with members who represent different aspects of school health (e.g. health education, physical education, nutrition services, mental and social health, employee wellness, family and community, school environment, and health services). The group acts collectively in providing advice to the school system on aspects of the school health programs. GCS provides nutrition education and promotes healthy eating. All foods available in schools should promote student health and meet nutrition standards. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in programs it funds. If you have a concern about discrimination in the GCS nutrition program, click here for details on how to file a complaint. 

Physical education is provided to promote lifelong physical activity. Students from kindergarten through eighth grade will receive 30 minutes of moderate to rigorous physical activity per day. Schools will provide a clean and safe meal environment, adequate time for students to eat meals, and drinking water throughout the school day. Food will not be used as a reward or punishment. 

For more details, see Board Policy 6140 Student Wellness. 

The School Health Nurse is a part of a team of nurses within the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services-Public Health Division that provides students with primary and preventive nursing care. As the health services expert in your child’s school, the School Health Nurse takes a lead role in detecting and addressing health problems, educating students and staff on health issues, and helping to manage the care of students with chronic illnesses and other special health care needs. The nurse supports student learning by working with the students, school staff, parents, healthcare providers and the community. 

A nurse is assigned to each school. Parents can reach the nurse by calling their child’s school or the Guilford County Department of Health and Human Services- Public Health Division: 

• Greensboro - 336-641-3896 

• High Point - 336-641-7802  

• GCS Health Services Director - 336-370-8325 

GCS and Cone Health have started a program that lets doctors check on students at some Guilford County elementary schools without them having to leave school (with the consent of their parent/guardian). This is done using a system called telehealth. Pediatric doctors from Cone Health can see students at elementary schools through a video call. They use special Bluetooth tools to check the students’ ears, throat, heart, and lungs. Medical assistants at the schools, who are trained by Cone Health, help with this. They work with the student, their parent(s), and the doctor who are all on the video call. This often means students can stay in school instead of making parents pick up the child early. Click here to find more information about schools offering the telehealth program.

 

When students are diagnosed with chronic health conditions such as: allergic reactions to bee stings or specific foods, diabetes, epileptic seizures, asthma, or other documented medical conditions that require intervention at school, it is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to ensure that the school administration is aware of the student’s individual health care needs.  

Parents of students who have diabetes should notify the school staff of their child’s health status. A Health Care Plan will be completed for each student to ensure appropriate care. The school nurse will consult with the parent, medical professionals and school staff to develop that plan.  

An Emergency Care Plan will be developed by the school nurse with opportunity for input from school administration, parent/guardian, and health care provider, as needed. It is the parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to notify school administration of any needed changes to the student’s Emergency Care Plan. See “Administration of Medications” for more information

If necessary, there are procedures for students who need to take medication during school hours or after-school activities. 

Administering Medication: School staff can give medication to students at school if a health care provider says it’s necessary and a parent/guardian requests it in writing. 

Self-Medication: The school is not responsible for students who self-medicate or for transporting medication to and from school. 

Field Trip Medication Authorization: Two weeks prior to an in-county field trip and at least 30 days prior to an out-of-county field trip, in partnership with your school nurse, forms should be completed. In addition to the school health form on file, an Authorization for Administration of Medication by School Personnel form must be submitted by the parent for each medication that will be needed during the field trip and/or for doses of medications that are not ordinarily administered by school personnel. Forms must be completed in their entirety. All medication forms and consents must be returned to the school nurse no later than 2 days prior to the field trip. 

Liability: The school, its personnel, and the Board of Education are not liable for complications or side effects of medications when given according to the instructions provided by the parent/guardian and health care provider. 

Asthma and Anaphylactic Reactions: Students with asthma or who are subject to anaphylactic reactions may carry and self-administer prescribed medication. They must show the school nurse they can use the medication and any necessary device. The student’s parent or guardian must provide written authorization, including medical verification. 

It’s important to communicate with the school about your child’s health needs. 

For more details, see Board Policy 6125 Administration of Medications to Students and Administrative Regulation 6125-R Administration of Medications to Students. 

Click here for the Medication Authorization Form. 

Dental and vision screenings are provided to students in cooperation with the Guilford County Public Health Department and other trained individuals. Students receive vision screenings from Guilford County Public Health School Nurses and trained volunteers. Dental screenings of students in kindergarten are conducted by a Dental Hygienist from the Guilford County Public Health Department. 

 

Guilford County Schools cares deeply about the success, safety, and well-being of its students. To help with this, GCS has a special program called School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) services. This program is part of a bigger plan called the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). 

The support given can be different for each student. It can be something that benefits all students, or it can be extra help for small groups or individual students who need it. A team of staff may recommend these services for your child through a process that screens all students in the district. Parents/caregivers can also ask for these services for their child.  

Once a student is referred, a team at the school looks at what the student needs and suggests what services they should get. These services can include learning important life skills, understanding how to behave, and counseling. Parent/guardian consent is required for this type of health service. These services can be given by school counselors, social workers, and psychologists, or by mental health clinicians from GCS. They can also be provided by community-based providers that partner with GCS. 

These services can be given in person or online, depending on what the student needs. 

For additional information, parents/caregivers may contact the school counselor at their child’s school or visit the Mental and Behavioral Health website. 

The Guilford County Board of Education expects professional and ethical interactions between staff and students. 

Professional Standards: Staff must maintain high standards in their interactions with students, providing a learning-friendly atmosphere and modeling expected behavior. 

Prohibited Relationships: Staff are not allowed to have romantic relationships or sexual contact with any student. Violations can lead to disciplinary action, dismissal, and possible criminal charges. 

Electronic Communications: Staff are not allowed to communicate with students through non-school-controlled platforms without parental permission. One-to-one electronic communications with students require written approval from the staff’s supervisor and the student’s parent, unless it’s for an educational purpose or in an emergency. 

Reporting Inappropriate Conduct: Staff must report any inappropriate conduct they witness or suspect to their supervisor or the student’s principal. Students should report any misconduct they experience to a teacher, principal, or other school administrator. 

Remember, it’s important to communicate with the school about any concerns regarding staff-student interactions. 

For more details, see Board Policy 4040/7310 Staff-Student Relations. 

Click here to report a concern about student-staff relationships. 

GCS Facilities teams are hard at work completing the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) projects and other upgrades funded by the voters of Guilford County through the bond. Unfortunately, years of putting off maintenance means that our systems sometimes fail. In the event a classroom environment is too hot (85 degrees or above) or too cold to hold instruction or there is another safety concern like an outage of water or electricity, multiple factors are considered, and principals first try to find an alternate location in the school to relocate the students. Generally, the Superintendent may consider shifting a school to remote instruction if more than half the classrooms are unsuitable for learning. GCS will follow its normal notification procedures in the event of an emergency closure. 

Parents/caregivers have a right to request information about the district’s asbestos management plan. Contact GCS Facilities Services at 336-370-2386. 

 

Parents/caregivers have a right to information about scheduled and unscheduled pesticide use on school property. For details, see Board Policy 9205 Integrated Pest Management. Contact GCS Facilities Services at 336-370-2386.