MOSES LAKE — From emergency preparedness and bullying prevention to school resource officers and facility safety, the Moses Lake School District is inviting community members to learn more about the measures in place to keep students and staff safe during a community conversation scheduled for Oct. 20. 

The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the MLSD Learning Services Center, 1620 S. Pioneer Way. Members of the district's Safety & Well-Being team will answer questions and discuss school safety efforts taking place across the district. 

According to Communications Director Ryan Shannon, the topic was selected because school safety consistently ranks among families' top concerns and aligns with one of the district's strategic-plan priorities.

"We have an entire pillar within our strategic plan dedicated to the safety and well-being of our students and our staff," Shannon said. "School safety is constantly at the top of survey results and questions that parents ask about what our schools are doing to ensure students and staff are safe on a daily basis." 

Shannon said the discussion will cover much more than emergency situations. School safety includes physical security, mental health, student well-being, facility maintenance, school attendance, transportation, technology safeguards and partnerships with law enforcement and community organizations. 

District Safety and Well-Being staff members Scott West and Adam Sawyer will participate in the meeting, along with a representative from the Moses Lake Police Department familiar with the district's school resource officer program, Shannon said.  

One goal of the event is to provide accurate information directly to the public, Shannon said.  

"There's a lot of misinformation that goes on throughout the community," Shannon said. "This is our opportunity to say, 'This is what we are actually doing.'" 

Topics expected to be discussed include the district's emergency alert systems, campus safety procedures, school resource officer program, attendance initiatives, Safe Routes to School efforts and partnerships such as the Safe Streets program. 

Shannon said a major focus this year continues to be reunification planning. Each school has a designated reunification site where students would be taken following a major evacuation. The district regularly practices those procedures to ensure students and staff know what to do during an emergency. 

The conversation also will include information on how families can report concerns involving harassment, intimidation and bullying. 

Parents may file a Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying, or HIB, report through the district. Shannon said the process allows concerns to be formally reviewed and investigated when necessary. 

Students and families also can use the district's anonymous "Stop It" reporting system to report bullying, threats, safety concerns or other issues occurring on campus. 

"We want to make sure people are educated about how to go about filing a report with the school district," Shannon said. 

Beyond formal reporting systems, Shannon encouraged families to contact school principals directly, participate in parent-teacher organizations and stay involved in district meetings and programs. 

He said maintaining safe schools requires cooperation between families, educators, law enforcement and the broader community. 

"It takes all of us," Shannon said. "It literally takes a village." 

District officials hope the event will help families better understand the resources available to them, he said, while providing an opportunity for direct dialogue with those responsible for student safety. 

"We take safety very seriously here in the district," Shannon said. "We have a team that is dedicated to continuing to look at the processes and procedures we have in place and always looking at how we can improve." 

The Oct. 20 community conversation is open to the public. District officials are encouraging parents, grandparents and community members to attend and bring questions about school safety and student well-being. 

MLSD School Safety Town Hall 

Tuesday, Oct. 20 

6 p.m. 

MLSD Learning Services Center 

1620 S. Pioneer Way