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Emergency and Safety

The safety and welfare of our students, families, and staff are top priorities for the Saratoga Union School District Board of Education and all District personnel. District staff maintain close contact with staff from the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office West Valley Patrol Division, the Saratoga Fire Department, the City of Saratoga and agencies working together to maintain safety. If you see suspicious activity around our schools or roadways or to report an unsafe driver, contact the West Valley Sheriff Dispatch at (408) 299-2311 immediately. 

Detailed below are the safety protocols and resources we use to ensure all students and staff are prepared in case of an emergency. 

Safety Protocols

The following practices are in place throughout the District:

  • Students and staff practice regular safety drills for earthquakes, fire, lockdowns and shelter in place.
     

  • All drivers in and around school grounds must obey all traffic rules, such as drop-off and pick-up areas, parking zones and speed limits. 
     

  • All visitors on school campuses must report to the office to sign in AND out. 
     
  • Students are released only to authorized persons. 
     
  • The District enforces zero tolerance regarding weapons, drugs and alcohol, explosive devices, destruction of property, threats, extortion and robbery.
     
  • The District upholds a bully, harassment and discrimination free climate. For more information, visit the student safety, bullying and crisis resources webpage.
     
  • Students learn about digital safety and good online citizenship practices. For more information, visit the SUSD Cybersafety webpage.

Safety Resources

Other Communication Resources

  • Sign up with AlertSCC to receive critical real-time information about emergencies, including wildfire evacuations, severe weather and health threats.
     
  • Tune into 1610 AM with the City of Saratoga, which broadcasts information related to road closures, public service announcements, community events and emergency information. 
     
  • Listen for current information on:
    • KGO RADIO 810 A
    • KCBS RADIO 740 AM
    • KTVU-TV CHANNEL 2
    • KRON-TV CHANNEL 4
    • KNTV-TV CHANNEL 11
       
  • Visit Purple Air, airnow.gov and Cal Fire for air quality and fire location alerts.

Communications

During a school emergency, evacuation or urgent campus closure, SUSD prioritizes accurate, timely and transparent information to keep our school community safe and informed. 

Please refrain from calling your school or the District office during an active emergency. Phone lines must remain open for emergency personnel and response coordination. Families will receive official updates and instructions as soon as accurate information becomes available.

Primary Notifications

During an emergency, the District's first priority is reaching the parents and guardians of current SUSD students immediately. 

  • Direct family alerts: Notifications will be sent directly to parents/guardians via ParentSquare through text message, email and/or voice calls.

  • Keep contact info up-to-date: If your phone number or email address changes, please notify your school office immediately so you do not miss critical alerts.

  • Social media updates: External platforms such as Nextdoor, Facebook, and Instagram will only be updated after direct family messaging is sent and when staff bandwidth allows.

Determining School Closures

As long as our schools remain safe, every effort will be made to ensure sites across the District remain open.

The following criteria will be used to determine the emergency closing of schools:

  1. The school is not operational, ie. conditions exist which are not conducive to learning. This may include lack of heat, lights or water. If possible, school will be held for at least a minimum day schedule.
     
  2. Staff and/or students cannot safely get to the school sites.
     
  3. The school is needed for an emergency center by the City of Saratoga or Red Cross.

Once the District determines there is a problem, we take the following steps:

  1. Begin an analysis of the situation as early as possible with key advisors.
     
  2. Determine severity of problems, advisories, estimated time of repair or changing conditions.
     
  3. Base our decision on the safety of students.
     
  4. All parents and staff will receive an alert through our messenger system.