The district also has a comprehensive crisis plan in the event of a city-wide emergency, and district administrators coordinate closely with city emergency management officials and law enforcement representatives to monitor and update school site-specific plans on an annual basis.

All schools have emergency response teams and are required to conduct a variety of emergency drills each year. Schools partner with the Santa Clara Police Department, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, and San Jose Police Department to provide training and help conduct lockdown drills annually. We will continue to work with law enforcement to make sure these types of drills take place in an age-appropriate way. 

If an emergency does occur at a school, we will notify parents as quickly as possible by email and phone call. SCUSD notifies families using the parent/guardian contact information on your child’s registration form. To update your emergency contact information, please make an appointment with your child’s school (secretary, attendance clerk, or registrar) — the Aeries Parent Portal closed on August 30.  

Family Reunification after an Emergency

At the beginning of every school year, you may receive a lot of forms to fill out, including the Emergency Card. Please fill it out every year and return to the school office. If you move to a new address or have a change in your emergency contact information, please update your child’s emergency card as soon as possible. To update your emergency contact information, please make an appointment with your child’s school (secretary, attendance clerk, or registrar) — the Aeries Parent Portal closed on August 30.  

In the event of an emergency, while your child is at school, such as an earthquake, you may find that it is difficult to contact your school as phone service may be interrupted or staff may be tending to students' needs. School staff will stay with your child until you, or an adult you previously authorized on your child’s Emergency Card, can pick up your child. When you arrive at the school, please be prepared to provide your ID, and the staff will help you properly sign out your child.

Important Information

Students may be moved to another location to provide better and more direct care. This decision will be made by the district administration and emergency personnel based upon current conditions, including the building safety and the duration of time that students may need to remain in the care of school staff. If relocation is necessary, schools will post signage at the site letting you know where your child is being cared for. This information will also be posted on the district’s website, on the district’s social media sites, and shared with the media as needed.

School Site Emergency Plan

School sites plan how to respond and recover from an emergency, disaster, or event resulting in the disruption of normal school operations. 

The district and the Santa Clara Department of Emergency Services work together to conduct districtwide trainings and update every school’s safety plan. Your school’s emergency plan may be viewed in the school’s main office. Confidential and/or personal information of district employees in the emergency plan will not be disclosed to the public. If your child has special needs that require additional assistance in an emergency, you can work with school staff to develop an individualized emergency plan.