San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Board Policy 5142
Safety
This Board Policy applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
The Governing Board recognizes the importance of providing a safe school environment that is conducive to learning and promotes student safety and well-being. Appropriate measures shall be implemented to minimize the risk of harm to students, including, but not limited to, protocols for maintaining safe conditions on school grounds, promoting safe use of school facilities and equipment, and guiding student participation in educational programs and school-sponsored activities.
School staff shall be responsible for the proper supervision of students at all times when students are subject to District rules, including, but not limited to, during school hours, school-sponsored activities, before and after-school programs, morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up, and while students are using District transportation.
The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that students receive appropriate instruction on topics related to safety and emergency procedures, as well as injury and disease prevention.
Crossing Guards/Student Safety Patrol
To assist students in safely crossing streets adjacent to or near school sites, the Board may employ crossing guards or partner with the City of San Francisco to employ crossing guards and/or establish a student safety patrol at any District school. The Superintendent or designee shall periodically examine traffic patterns within school attendance areas in order to identify locations where crossing assistance may be needed.
Student Identification Cards and Safety Information
Student identification cards of students in grades 7-12 shall have printed on them safety information, including the following: (Education Code 215.5, 217)
- The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline telephone number and, at the District’s discretion, the Crisis Text Line and/or a local suicide prevention hotline telephone number; and
- The National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
8482-8484.65 After School Education and Safety Program
17280-17317 Building approvals (Field Act)
17365-17374 Fitness of school facilities for occupancy
32001 Fire alarms and drills
32020 School gates; entrances for emergency vehicles
32030-32034 Eye safety
32040 First aid equipment
32225-32226 Two-way communication devices in classrooms
32240-32245 Lead-free schools
32250-32254 CDE school safety and security resources unit
32280-32289 Safety plans
44807 Duty of teachers concerning conduct of students
44808 Exemption from liability when students are not on school property
44808.5 Permission for students to leave school grounds; notice (high school)
45450-45451 Crossing guards
48900 Hazing
49300-49307 School safety patrol
49330-49335 Injurious objects
49341 Hazardous materials in school science laboratories
51202 Instruction in personal and public health and safety
GOVERNMENT CODE
810-996.6 California Tort Claims Act
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
115725-115735 Playground safety
115775-115800 Wooden playground equipment
116046 Issuance of best practices guidelines for K-12 pool safety
PENAL CODE
245.6 Hazing
PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE
5411 Purchase of equipment usable by persons with disabilities
VEHICLE CODE
21100 Rules and regulations; crossing guards
21201 Rules for operation of bicycle on roadway
21212 Use of helmets
42200 Fines and forfeitures, disposition by cities
42201 Fines and forfeitures, disposition by counties
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
202 Exclusion of students with a contagious disease
570-576 School safety patrols
5531 Supervision of social activities
5552 Playground supervision
5570 When school shall be open and teachers present
14030 Standards for development of plans for the design and construction of school facilities
14103 Bus driver; authority over pupils
COURT DECISIONS
J.H. v. Los Angeles Unified School District, (2010) 183 Cal.App.4th 123
Lane v. City of Sacramento, (2010) 183 Cal. App. 4th. 1337
Wiener v. Southcoast Childcare Centers, (2004) 32 Cal.4th 1138
Kahn v. East Side Union High School District, (2003) 31 Cal.4th 990
Knight v. Jewett, (1992) 3 Cal.4th 296, 313
Hoyem v. Manhattan Beach City School District, (1978) 22 Cal. 3d 508
Dailey v. Los Angeles Unified School District, (1970) 2 Cal 3d 741
Management Resources:
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS
F 1487-05, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use, 2017
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Science Safety Handbook for California Public Schools, 2014
U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION PUBLICATIONS
Public Playground Safety Handbook, 2010
WEB SITES
American Society for Testing and Materials: http://www.astm.org
California Department of Education, Safe Schools Office: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss
California Department of Public Health: http://www.cdph.ca.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov
Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov
U.S. Department of Education, Safe Schools: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/gtss.html
Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.