February 18, 2022
Dear Springfield Public Schools Community:
The purpose of this letter is to share an update about how the schools will be communicating with families regarding school security drills.
In January, Governor Murphy signed Assembly Bill No. 5727 (codified as P.L. 2021, c.365) requiring school districts to provide notifications to students, staff, and parents/guardians when a school security drill has been conducted during the school day. School security drills include lockdowns, non-fire evacuations, shelter-in-place, and a variety of other drill types identified by the Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Education.
Moving forward, you will receive a notification after the security drill has been completed; you will not receive notifications for fire drills. In accordance with the legislation, and as best practice, we will work to ensure that clear messaging is provided to students and staff that the event is a drill, that there is no current danger, and our counselors will be available to address any student inquiries or concerns which may arise as a result of a school security drill.
Please contact your school principal with any concerns or questions. Thank you for your ongoing support of our schools!
Sincerely,
Rachel Goldberg