The health, safety and well-being of students and staff are the top priority in Lorain City Schools.
Our staff works closely with the Safety Services in the City of Lorain to create safety plans that are continuously reviewed and updated. We regularly practice safety drills and conduct safety-related discussions with students in a positive and age-appropriate manner. In addition, all our schools have state-of-the-art safety and security systems in place to protect our students and staff.
The Lorain City Schools believe that open communication is a key element in maintaining safe learning environments.
To that end, the district uses a Safety Hotline to allow students, parents, and any other concerned parties to file an anonymous report regarding potential safety issues. Lorain City Schools also uses a parent notification system that can contact families via phone or email to provide regular updates or emergency messages.
UPDATE JULY 19, 2022 | The Lorain City Schools believe that open communication is key in maintaining safe learning environments. To that end, we wanted to share this important message about school safety.
This pertains to firearms in our schools and on district property.
Lorain City Schools will not allow teachers and staff to carry firearms on district property.
With Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signing Ohio House Bill 99, which establishes policies to allow school districts the option to arm teachers and staff, the Lorain Board of Education passed a resolution on June 27, 2022, in opposition to arming Lorain City School District employees.
Only trained law enforcement officers will be allowed to carry firearms on school property.
Lorain Schools continues to have a very strong relationship with the Lorain Police Department. Our Director of Safety and Security Reuben Figueroa and School Resource Officers Nick Gerace and Dave Kusznir are sworn members of law enforcement. All have a strong, daily presence in our buildings and work with Lorain Police to keep our students and staff safe.
Lorain City Schools Safety & Security works closely with students, staff, families, community members, and local safety personnel to build strong relationships that strengthen our safety network. While we cannot share specific safety protocols and plans (doing so would give the "bad guys" valuable information to take advantage of our systems), we can share the proactive measures we have in place to TitanUp! our district:
A.L.I.C.E. Active Shooter Response Training prepares our staff and students to respond with confidence during an active shooter situation
Pressure checks are performed routinely to ensure equipment is functioning properly year-round
Centralized command coordinates communications and building supports during emergency operations.
Community partnerships wrap our students in support, including the addition of a second officer on loan from the Lorain Police Department to support our school district
Community meetings increase communication and collaboration around:
Transforming our schools into collaborative community centers with highly accessible services to students and families (Health care, Basic needs, Economics, Recreation, and Education)
Responding to negative behavior in our schools with a mindset of de-escalation (Debriefing incidents and determining logical consequences)
Providing coordinated supports/services for successful re-entry to school when appropriate
Hiring a wellness coach to stay connected withstudents who have been expelled or assigned to online learning, coordinate wraparound services for the student and family, and ensure a warm welcome back to school
Keeping our focus on relationship-building to create a network of safety and support district-wide
In addition, when needed, our team has several measures in place to identify, verify the credibility of, and address threats so that we can safely resume classes with peace of mind.
A lockdown is a precautionary measure in response to a threat. There are three levels that vary depending on the type of threat indicated.
Level 1 Lockdown indicates a possible threat in the area near the school building. During a Level 1 Lockdown, exterior doors and windows remain locked, and no one can enter or leave the building. Normal school operations are to continue.
Level 2 Lockdown indicates a possible threat inside the school building. During a Level 2 Lockdown, doors and windows are to remain locked, and no one is to enter or leave the building or classrooms. Staff and students are to stay in their designated areas, and hallways should remain clear. Classes may continue as usual in classrooms, but there are no bell changes.
Level 3 Lockdown indicates a possible threat inside the school building. During a Level 3 Lockdown, all doors and windows remain locked, and no one is to enter or leave the building. Interior lights should be turned off. If possible, staff and students should evacuate safely and/or follow A.L.I.C.E. - barricade doors, spread out in the classrooms, and prepare to counter. Staff and students must remain in lockdown until law enforcement releases them. There will be no all clear given over the intercom.
Reuben Figueroa, affectionately known as Fig to his friends and colleagues, is a 2008 graduate of Admiral King High School. He graduated at just 16 as one of the first (PSEO) Early College students in Lorain County.
He later went on to earn an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Lorain County Community College.
One of his first jobs was as a safety officer with Lorain City Schools before entering the police academy, and joining the Lorain Police Department in 2013. But when the police department needed a resource officer at Lorain High School, Figueroa gave up patrolling the streets to return to the hallways — and he has never looked back since, eventually assuming the role of safety coordinator for Lorain City Schools.
Figueroa earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice: Public Administration and Management from Liberty University, where is also currently enrolled to finish his graduate degree in Public Safety.
Today, he serves as Director of Safety & Security. He is responsible for the management of the district's safety compliance officers and safety officers as well as coordinates with district officials on all building safety and security plans, bringing his expertise as a sworn officer who has patrolled the same streets as our families to a job that requires just as much in the way of compassion. In 2019, the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office deputized Figueroa for law enforcement authority in school-related incidents throughout Lorain City Schools.
This connection with the Lorain Police Department and Lorain County Sheriff’s Office allows Lorain City Schools to tap into comprehensive law enforcement strategies needed to build safety and security plans that utilize the most up-to-date best practices.
Figueroa is very passionate about youth and school safety. He enjoys working for the improvement of the community and he loves to learn. He serves on the Lorain County Health and Dentistry Board of Directors, the "Basta Ya" Board of Mental Health Among Latinos Initiative at the Nord Center and the TDR Learning Academy Board of Directors.
Figueroa married to Amarily Figueroa in 2012, and the couple has three children.
Our community is the most vital part of our safety plan. That is why the district uses a safety hotline to allow students, parents, and other concerned parties to file an anonymous report regarding potential safety issues.
You can report something suspicious by texting or calling our anonymous SaferSchools Ohio tip line at 844-SAFEROH or 844-723-3764. The tip line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
