EMERGENCY SAFETY INTERVENTIONS POLICY (ESI)
o The Board of Education of USD 110 Thunder Ridge Schools is committed to limiting the use of Emergency Safety Interventions (“ESE”), such as seclusion and restraint, with all students. The Board of Education encourages all employees to utilize other behavioral management tools including prevention techniques, de-escalation techniques, and positive behavioral intervention strategies.
o Emergency Safety Intervention” is the use of seclusion or physical restraint when a
student presents immediate danger to self or others. Violent action that is destructive or
property may necessitate the use of emergency safety intervention.
o “Seclusion” requires all three of the following conditions to be met: (1) the student is
placed in an enclosed area by school personnel; (2) the student is purposefully isolated
from adults and peers; and (3) the student is prevented from leaving, or reasonably
believes that the student will be prevented from leaving the enclosed area.
o “Chemical Restraint” means the use of medication to control a student’s violent physical
behavior or restrict a student’s freedom of movement.
o “Mechanical Restraint” means any device or object used to limit a student’s movement.
o “Physical Restraint” means bodily force used to substantially limit a student’s movement.
o “Physical Escort” means the temporary touching or holding the hand, wrist, arm,
shoulder, or back of a student who is acting out for the purpose of inducing the student to
walk to a safe location.
o “Time-out” means a behavioral intervention in which a student is temporarily removed
from a learning activity without being confined.
Prohibited Types of Restraint
All staff members are prohibited from engaging in the following actions with all students:
1. Using face-down (prone) physical restraint.
2. Using face-up (supine) physical restraint.
3. Using physical restraint that obstructs the student’s airway;
4. Using physical restraint that impacts a student’s primary mode of communication;
5. Using chemical restraint, except as prescribed by a licensed healthcare professional
for treatment of a medical or psychiatric condition; and
6. Use of mechanical restraint, except:
a. Protective or stabilizing devices required by law or used in accordance with
an order from a licensed healthcare professional;
b. Any device used by law enforcement officers to carry out law enforcement
duties; or
c. Seatbelts and other safety equipment used to secure students during
transportation.
Training
All staff members shall be trained regarding the use of positive behavioral intervention
strategies, de-escalation techniques, and prevention techniques. The intensity of the training
provided will depend upon the employee’s position.
Documentation
The principal or designee shall provide written notification to the student’s parents any
time that ESI is used with a student. Such notification shall be provide within two (2)
days. In addition, each building will shall maintain documentation any time ESI is used
with a student. Such documentation much include the following:
1. Date of time of the intervention,
2. Type of intervention,
3. Length of time the intervention was used, and
4. School personnel who participated in or supervised the intervention.
All such documentation shall be provided to the building principal, who shall be
responsible for providing copies of such documentation to the superintendent on at least a
biannual basis. At least once per school year, each building principal or designee shall
review the documentation of ESI incidents with appropriate staff members to consider the
appropriateness of the use of ESI in those instances.
Local Dispute Resolution Process
The Board of Education encourages parents to attempt to resolve issues relating to the use
of ESI informally with the Building Principal and/or Superintendent before filing a
formal complaint with the board. In the event that the complaint is resolved informally,
the administrator must provide a written report of the informal resolution to the
Superintendent and the parents to retain a copy of the report at the school. The
Superintendent will share the informal resolution with the Board of Education and
provide a copy to the state department of education.
If the issues are not resolved informally with the Building Principal and/or the
Superintendent, the parents may submit a formal written complaint to the Board of
Education by providing a copy of the complaint to the Clerk of the Board and the
superintendent.
Upon receipt of a formal written complaint, the board president shall assign an
investigator to review the complaint and report the findings to the Board as a whole.
Such investigator may be a board member, a school administrator selected by the board,
or a board attorney. Such investigator shall be informed of the obligation to maintain
confidentiality of student records and shall report the findings and recommended action
to the Board in executive session.
Any such investigation must be completed within thirty (30) days of receipt of the formal
written complaint by the Board Clerk and Superintendent. On or before the 30th day after
receipt of the written complaint, the Board shall adopt the report containing findings of
fact and, if necessary, appropriate corrective action. A copy of the report adopted by the
Board shall be provided to the parents, the school, and the State Board of Education.