Safety & Security

Student Safety

In the Clear Creek Amana Community School District, the safety of our students, staff, and visitors is our top priority and we take this responsibility very seriously. Our school safety addresses prevention, intervention, preparedness, building security, and emergency response.

Planning for the Unknown

Our school district and each school building have school safety and emergency response plans in place. These plans continue to evolve and change according to state law and are developed and reviewed by Johnson County, North Liberty and Iowa County community agencies such as law enforcement, fire departments, and EMS.
All buildings work with local law enforcement on annual intruder training (ALICE training). There are many variables in this training and no single response fits all intruder situations. However, making sure each individual knows his or her options for response and can react decisively will save valuable time.
Emergency plans, procedures, and warning signs are reviewed by school staff periodically.
Information is shared with students, keeping in mind sensitivity, maturity and level of understanding of the students. We will continue with our strategies to help students feel connected to school, to their teachers and to each other.
Buildings have limited entry points and require emergency response drills with students.
In the event of an intruder or student safety emergency, initial notifications would be sent out via SMS and email and ongoing information would be formulated and communicated. The safety of our students is our highest priority. We also understand how important it is to get information that we are able to share as soon as possible.

The Clear Creek Amana Community School District uses Finalsite Communications to contact parents about information regarding crisis communication, important district wide information, school closings and delays. Calls, texts and emails will go out as soon as any decision is made by administration concerning the school day. Please listen to the entire message as it contains pertinent information. The district website and district mobile app will also list any changes to the school day.

Safety Assessment and Improvements

In June of 2022 it was announced that $100 million dollars would be provided to schools in the State of Iowa to allow for updates to building security. The money was divided to address physical improvements, complete vulnerability assessments, digital mapping of building interiors, building radios to directly access local law enforcement, and digital applications.

Clear Creek Amana has submitted the purchases of the new radios to be located at District Attendance Centers. In addition, vulnerability assessments have been completed at all District Attendance Centers. These assessments were completed in conjunction with the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency, Iowa County Emergency Management Agency, Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Iowa County Sheriff's Office, and the North Liberty Police Department. As a result of these assessments, the District received potential physical update recommendations and practices for consideration. Of the $100 million dollars, each of our attendance centers has up to $50,000 to utilize for improvements, giving CCA $350,000 total.

We have completed all of the necessary updates as of 2025.

In addition to assessing our physical security at each attendance center, we have also been reviewing and working through the District's CyberSecurity practices. Recently, there have been several public school districts in the State of Iowa that have been victim of ransomware attacks. CCA has partnered with external consultants to review our current practices/systems to ensure we have the protection needed to avoid this sort of attack.

Being proactive in both the physical and cyber security of our district is of the utmost importance and will remain a focus as we move forward.

Visitor Check-in Process

Clear Creek Amana Community School District welcomes visitors and encourages all parents to be an active part of their children’s educational experience. To ensure we are able to maintain a safe learning environment the district uses Securely Visitor, a visitor management system, to screen all visitors against sexual offender registries in all 50 states and establish a consistent sign-in process across the district.

All visitors are required to check in at the school office and present a Driver's License ID and enter their phone number when they arrive at any building. When a visitor signs in at the office, he/she will receive a visitor sticker that he/she will be expected to wear during his/her stay in the building. Visitors are expected to sign out prior to leaving the building.

HOW IT WORKS

All visitors, including parents/guardians, must report to the main office upon their arrival at the school and provide their driver’s license ID and phone number.
The barcode on their ID is scanned electronically and Securely Visitor looks for a match on state sexual offender databases.
- Other identification may be used, but will need to be entered manually and reviewed by a building secretary or administrator.
If a match is identified, the building principal or designated representative will immediately be notified and respond according to district procedures.
If no match is identified, visitors are issued a date specific visitor’s badge that includes their name, photograph and visitor information. These badges must be worn at all times while on the school grounds.
All visitors are required to check out in the main office prior to leaving the school and return their visitor badges so they can be destroyed by office staff.
Children who do not have a valid ID are allowed to visit as long as an adult who has completed the check-in process accompanies them.

Bullying and Harassment Policies & Forms

What is Bullying
District Formal Complaint Process

What is Bullying

According to Iowa Code 280.28:

Bullying/Harassment is "Any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student based on the individual's actual or perceived trait or characteristics of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:

Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the person or their property
Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student's physical or mental health
Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student's academic performance
Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school"

There are 17 protected traits or characteristics in the law. "Trait or characteristic of the student" includes but is not limited to age, color, creed, national origin, race, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party preference, political belief, socioeconomic status, or familial status.

The Department of Education states, “Conflict is not bullying. Conflict is "A disagreement or antagonism between two or more people. All parties involved have some responsibility in the encounter. It is not bullying when two or more kids with no perceived power imbalance fight, have an argument, or disagree."

Board Policy 104 Anti-Bullying and Harassment

District Formal Complaint Process

Clear Creek Amana strives to create a secure and nurturing atmosphere for everyone in our community. If you or someone you know is facing bullying or harassment, we urge you to report it. For our staff, if you have any grievances, we are available to address them. Additionally, it is essential to report any suspicions of child abuse promptly. We prioritize your safety, and our reporting protocols are crafted to handle these matters with sensitivity and promptness. Kindly use the instructions provided below to report incidents, and we appreciate your assistance in upholding a community that is both secure and respectful for everyone.

Anti-Bullying & Harassment

Prioritizing the safety and welfare of our students remains paramount. If you or someone you are aware of is facing bullying, harassment, or any form of victimization, we strongly recommend reporting it promptly. Your report enables us to take immediate and suitable measures to address the issue. We are dedicated to fostering a school environment where everyone experiences respect and protection. Kindly follow the provided steps below to report incidents, and be assured that your concerns will be treated with sensitivity and urgency.

Grievance Documentation

It is the policy of the Clear Creek Amana Community School District does not discriminate in its educational programs, activities and employment practices on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, sexual orientation, age (for employment), actual or potential parental, family or marital status (for programs), There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy or for more information about the district's grievance procedures please contact Mark Moody , Executive Director of Educational Services, 1486 Hwy 6 N.W., Oxford, IA 52322, 319-828-4510,markmoody@ccaschools.org.

Students, parents of students, employees, and applicants for employment in the school district have the right to file a formal complaint alleging discrimination. The district has policies and procedures in place to identify and investigate complaints alleging discrimination. If appropriate, the district will take steps to prevent the recurrence of discrimination and to correct its discriminatory effects on the Complainant and others.

A Complainant may attempt to resolve the problem informally by discussing the matter with a building principal or a direct supervisor. However, the Complainant has the right to end the informal process at any time and pursue the formal grievance procedures outlined below. Use of the informal or formal grievance procedure is not a prerequisite to the pursuit of other remedies. Please note that informal processes and procedures are not to be used in certain circumstances (e.g., sexual harassment and sexual assault).

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