Christian Schools of Florida
Explanatory Standards

Explanatory Standard 4.11-12

Maintaining a Safe and Healthy School Climate

The school:

1. complies with all national, state, and local laws relating to communicable diseases,
   including OSHA requirements regarding blood-borne pathogens.
   
   
2. complies with all applicable national, state, and local health, safety, and sanitation codes including immunization records, food service regulations, fire inspections, and asbestos and radon inspection, and background screening as prescribed by Florida law.
   
   
3. maintains a file of annual health, safety, sanitation, and fire inspections to verify
   compliance with state law;
   
   
4. practices a process for screening potential administrators, teachers, and support staff
   that complies with state law and takes every precaution to protect the school community from potentially abusive persons, including Level II background screening and letters of reference.
   
   
5. requires a minimum of 10% of the staff members be trained in first aid and CPR
   procedures. One staff member or designated adult with up-to-date training in first aid
   and CPR must be present at all school activities;
   
   
6. operates a well-equipped clinic area, which is under the direct supervision of a staff
   member or school volunteer. Clinic equipment must include cots, first aid supplies, and thermometers. Emergency procedures must be clearly defined and posted;
   
   
7. dispenses prescription medication through a registered nurse, a physician’s assistant, or
   a physician according to a written training plan adopted by the school; prescription
   medication may only be dispensed from its original container and accompanied by a
   physician’s prescription and written parental permission; a log of dispensed prescription
   medications must be maintained; prescription medications must be stored in a locked
   cabinet or in a locked container in a refrigerator;
   
   
8. trains the professional and volunteer staff in child abuse reporting procedures in
   accordance with state and local regulations;
   
   
9. establishes, publishes, and practices written procedures for the access and release of
   students to non-custodial parties, and that controls visitor access to the school;
   
   
10. employs arrival and dismissal schedules and parking and traffic patterns designed to
    provide reasonable procedures for the safety of all students;
    
    
11. maintains a physical plant that is free of hazards to safety, such as unfenced danger
    areas, unlit stairwells, open waterways, and unprotected propane gas tanks.
    
    
    1. toilet facilities are adequate to the population, are properly ventilated and cleaned,
       and in compliance with applicable state and local codes;
       
       
    2. sanitary drinking fountains are provided at convenient locations and sufficient
       in number to meet county building codes;
       
       
    3. classroom furniture is sufficient in amount and appropriate for the age and size of
       the pupils, and kept in good repair;
       
       
    4. dining and kitchen areas are well equipped and comply with county health and safety
       regulations;
       
       
    5. outdoor play and recreational areas provide ample space and shade for a variety of
       activities suited to the needs of the students and meet state and local codes;
       
       
    6. outdoor play equipment is kept in safe condition through a regular plan of inspection
       and repair, and is adequate in quantity and age-appropriateness for student use;
       
       
    7. a program for daily housekeeping and maintenance is be scheduled, practiced, and
       supervised, and its quality assures the health and safety of students and staff;
       
       
    8. all cleaning supplies, chemicals, and gardening and maintenance tools and
       equipment are safely stored in locked areas out of the reach and access of students;
       
       
    9. lighting and heating/ventilation systems must meet county building codes.
       
       
12. meets all national, state, and local fire and emergency codes;
    
    
13. posts emergency access numbers in a highly visible manner at each telephone;
    
    
14. installs and maintains fire extinguishers in sufficient numbers and properly placed
    throughout the school, that are maintained and inspected regularly in accordance with
    local and state fire codes; staff members are adequately trained in their use;
    
    
15. develops and maintains a written crisis management plan in which all employees are
    regularly trained and appropriate drills conducted and contains the following:
    
    
    1. inspects the campus for possible breeches in security and maintains and instructs a
       process for the school community in lockdown and evacuation procedures, and
       reporting incidents to the general public;
       
       
    2. carries out safety/emergency drills (i.e. fire, tornado, lockdown, bomb threat) for
       students at all levels, and a log of such drills is maintained; the log contains the date
       of the drill, the number of students participating, the time required for any
       evacuation necessary, and any special conditions that occurred;
       
       
    3. conducts student attendance at each drill at all grade levels, either after students
       have evacuated buildings or in individual rooms during lockdown;
       
       
    4. Inspects at the outset of the drill the entire interior of the school facilities to make
       certain that no persons are left behind, which adheres to a written plan that is in
       place to guide the process;
       
       
    5. Follows the following frequency for emergency drills:
       
       
       1. tornado drills are held once each semester
       2. lockdown drills are held once each quarter
       3. fire drills are held monthly, with the initial drill held within the first 15 days of the
          start of the school year, and escape routes are posted in each classroom and
          school office area
          
          
16. Complies with the following transportation procedures and requirements:
    
    
    1. All drivers of school vehicles must have a valid driver’s license and be approved
       according to the school’s established safe driver policy.
       
       
    2. All school operated vehicles are (1) well maintained, inspected every six months, and
       meet required state standards for safety; (2) comply with all state laws regulating
       school transportation; and (3) comply with the manufacturer’s passenger capacity
       limits.
       
       
    3. Adequate liability insurance is carried on all vehicles, including those contracted and
       used for student transportation, with a minimum amount of vehicular coverage per
       occurrence based on the following enrollments:
       
       1-200 students: $2,000,000
       
       201-500 students: $3,000,000
       
       501+ students: $5,000,00
       
       
    4. Attendance is taken and recorded before children board a vehicle for transportation
       on a field trip, athletic event, or other school-sponsored activity, and attendance is
       again taken upon returning to the school after all students have been safely
       dismissed from the vehicle.