Copyright Star Tribune
North St. Paul–Maplewood–Oakdale school leaders take an approach to safety that combines prevention, strong relationships and technology. Since the pandemic, the district has emphasized rebuilding routines and social skills and ensuring every student feels connected through clubs, sports, or other activities. The district has also upgraded its buildings with secure entrances, lockdown systems, reinforced windows and security cameras, and implemented an app for crisis communication. Staff and students can use an anonymous tip line where staff and students can report concerns. The new weapons detection system at Tartan High School started as a pilot program but will likely stay. Another system will soon be added to North Senior High. A sign indicates the use of the new weapons detection system on Tartan High School. (Elizabeth Flores/The Minnesota Star Tribune) The technology “bells and whistles” add another layer of protection and psychological safety, North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale Superintendent Christine Tucci Osorio said. The bulk of the work in the district’s schools, however, is focused on identifying struggling students before they turn to violence. Helping students feel connected to school became a priority after the pandemic, when students returned to class dysregulated and on edge. School staff now try to get every student into a club, sport or activity. “For all the mental health supports we do invest in in our district,” Tucci Osorio said, “that can never take the place of possible friendships.”
