2007 Safety Audit Report

POSTED: 11:29 a.m. EDT, January 24, 2008
By: Seve Padilla, Division Security and Facilities Coordinator

The Commonwealth of Virginia requires us to conduct an annual school safety audit for each school. The audit is administered through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in the form of the Virginia School Safety Survey (VSSS). The purpose of these audits and surveys allows the state to assess school safety conditions throughout the Commonwealth.

Virginia code §22.1-§279.8 and §9.1-184, “Each local school board shall require all schools under its control to annually conduct school safety audits.” Overall the main purpose of this report is to locate, examine, and correct all items that might be considered hazards or other safety concerns for our students, faculty, and staff.

Our safety team routinely walks each campus and notes items that need attention. The items are then reported to maintenance via our work-order system. Large items are brought to the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations for approval due to budget considerations.

Throughout this report we will be examining the safety concerns and how to address them for the following schools:

George Mason High School
7124 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22043

Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
7130 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22043

Thomas Jefferson Elementary
601 S. Oak St
Falls Church, VA 22046

Mt. Daniel Elementary
2328 N. Oak St
Falls Church, VA 22046

**Many items listed on this report were noted during the summer of 2007 and have since been corrected. They are being listed in this report to show the effort our Facility Services and Safety/Security departments are taking to
ensure a safe campus setting for everyone.