Safety & Communication Procedures at MUSD

Three girls stand in a playground with other students during school arrival.

The safety of our students is always our top priority at Manteca Unified. Browse this page to learn about safety procedures and communication strategies in MUSD.As a District, we understand the need to have a trusting relationship with parents and support providers, especially during a school emergency. With the partnership of local law enforcement agencies and fire departments, MUSD has an emergency plan in place that outlines preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery to keep students and staff safe and the community informed.

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS MODEL

Our district aligns with the four key phases of the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) model: preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery. Our safety plans emphasize proactive training, effective communication, and strong recovery protocols to ensure that students and staff are well-prepared for any emergency situation.

Preparedness Procedures

PREPARATION

We focus on planning and training to ensure readiness for emergencies. Key steps include:

Developing comprehensive emergency plans
Conducting regular drills for staff and students
Securing necessary resources

Your role: We encourage you to take an active part in preparedness activities. This way, you can feel confident in ensuring your own safety!

See how we prepare

PREVENTION

We implement strategies to reduce the likelihood of emergencies. This involves:

Conducting risk assessments
Collaborating with local law enforcement
Educating our community on recognizing potential risks

Your role: You can contribute by reporting any concerns you may have and reinforcing safe social media practices at home or in the classroom. Open communication about online behavior and potential risks helps create a safer environment for everyone.

Explore our prevention strategies

RESPONSE

During an emergency, we take swift action to ensure everyone’s safety. This includes:

Activating our emergency plans and Incident Command Team
Maintaining clear communication with our internal safety teams, you, and responders
Coordinating with local law enforcement

Your role: Stay informed through official channels and follow the guidance we provide.

learn about our response plans

RECOVERY

After an emergency, we work to restore normalcy. This involves:

Assessing the impact on our students and staff
Providing counseling and support services
Reviewing our response for future improvements

Your role: We need to work together—both at school and at home—to pay extra attention to how our students are feeling and to support their emotional wellbeing. Please seek support for your children or students as needed.

Discover our recovery efforts

Safety Terms

When communicating about potentially escalating situations on campus, the District will use the following safety terms to share the status of a situation with families. We encourage you to read the descriptions and examples below and memorize the meaning of these terms so you fully understand any communications sent out by your school.

Secure Campus

During a "Secure Campus" alert, classrooms and office doors are locked, and instruction continues inside. No one is allowed to enter or exit the campus due to a potentially escalating situation on or off campus. This precautionary response allows the school to quickly transition to a lockdown if needed.

Note: Of all the emergency responses, the Secure Campus alert is used the most since it is a precautionary measure schools can use for many situations. Most secure campus alerts are resolved quickly.

Example: An on-campus incident requires students to remain secure in their classrooms, or law enforcement officers are attending an incident off campus, and student dismissal must be halted.

Shelter-In-Place

Lockdown

Evacuation

MUSD understands the importance of rapid communication as we work to keep our students safe. Our District offers many communication tools to make sure you stay connected.

We aim to maintain transparent communication and information with you and understand this need in a time of urgency. If there was ever an imminent threat to your child, District leaders, law enforcement, and emergency response professionals would take immediate and necessary precautions or responses. We will make every effort to communicate information appropriately to retain this trust, while not compromising the efficiency of emergency response on campus. Below is a quick reference guide on when, where, and how you should expect communication from MUSD as well as your child(ren)’s school.

Learn about the team that manages the communication channels throughout Manteca Unified!

Meet the Community Relations & Engagement team

Communication Tools

Phone, Email, Text

MUSD uses mass communication via phone, email, and text to quickly communicate with families. In an emergency, this system will alert you to urgent information. Phone calls are used to notify you of child absences. Typically, schools will use email, text, and app notifications to keep you informed of school news.

Ensure your child(ren)’s school has your current contact information for systems to contact you. If you previously unsubscribed from Blackboard notifications, follow these steps to resubscribe:

Phone calls: Call 855-502-7867 from the phone that opted out.
Texts: Text START to 60680 from the phone that opted out for non emergency messages; text START to 54968 for emergency messages.
Email: Contact the school site to opt back in.

Local News Media

During a serious emergency, we will communicate via the tools and procedures listed above, while not compromising the efficiency of emergency response on campus. During such emergencies, we urge you to avoid coming to the school until you are notified of a reunification location or that a lockdown situation has been resolved. All personnel and resources will be directed to maintain campus safety.

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