Mars Area School District is concerned for the safety and welfare of all of our students. The District’s emergency plan provides for response actions to be taken in all types of emergencies, including, but not limited to, medical problems, violence and crime, lockdowns and evacuations, facility emergencies such as fires and utility failures, severe weather, and student welfare. Therefore, several types of protective responses are planned as follows:

Condition/Response

Delayed Opening — Delayed school opening is normally the result of a cancellation of classes, inclement weather, etc. Cancellation of classes or delayed release may be necessary in the event of a disruption of public utility services, severe weather damage, violent actions/ threats, etc.

Building Evacuation — Evacuation to another school building or other predetermined safe area within the District may become necessary in the event of a fire, utility failure, violent actions/threats, etc.

District Evacuation — Total district evacuation may become necessary if schools are endangered because of a hazardous material accident, major flood, violent actions, etc.

Lockdown — A building-level lockdown may become necessary if the school is endangered by the presence of an intruder, violent actions, etc.

Shelter-In-Place — Sudden occurrences such as tornadoes and hazardous material accidents may dictate taking cover as the best immediate response.

Additionally, if your residence should be in an endangered area, and the school is not, your child will be cared for in their regular school until the danger has passed or you or a person you authorize come to the school to regain custody.

If a total evacuation becomes necessary, your child will be bussed to a location outside of the school district and away from the endangered area as designated in the District’s Emergency Operations Plan. The location may be designated by the Butler County Emergency Management Agency as the reception center to which the general public evacuates in the event of a total school evacuation.

Parents or others authorized to pick up a child will be required to provide identification at the pick-up point and sign a release register prior to release of a child. Identification may consist of a driver’s license, Social Security card, voter registration card, etc.

With the start of each school year, it is important for all parents to update your students’ emergency contact information. Within the first few days of the start of the school year, the District will request that parents submit this information electronically or by completing a District’s Confidential Emergency Form. You are also encouraged to contact your child’s school with any changes to his or her emergency contact information that may occur during the school year. If an emergency situation should occur, please do not telephone schools or attempt to make different arrangements as this will only create confusion and divert staff and faculty members from their assigned emergency duties.

Mars Area School District will keep you informed of any emergency situations through its emergency telephone/e-mail notification system as well as through local radio and television announcements. The information will include specific instruction for where you may regain custody of your child and the procedures for doing so. In the event that telephone service is lost, local radio and television announcements will be used to communicate status, procedures and future considerations. Loss of mass media communications could necessitate the use of route alerting and/or a neighborhood communications network.

Depending on the situation, emergency conditions may require that an individual school or even the entire School District be closed for a period of time. In that event, students may be required to complete daily classroom assignments while at home or in another living arrangement. You will be informed of this requirement through newspapers as well as radio and television stations. In addition, you will be informed on the method by which daily class assignments are delivered and completed assignments are returned to the teachers.

To ensure the safety of the children of our District and the continuity of their education, the cooperation of all parents/ guardians is strongly requested in all emergency situations.

School Safety

Mars Area School District works cooperatively with Adams Township, Mars Borough and Middlesex Township police departments as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, local fire officials and other emergency personnel to ensure a safe school environment. Adams Township police remains a strong presence at all of our school buildings and facilities. And, additional security measures and personnel are in place to further ensure the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff members.

Emergency Notification

Mars Area School District will activate its emergency telephone/e-mail notification system in the event of an emergency and/or major announcement. Information may also be announced through local radio and television stations. It is important that the District have your most current contact information. If you think your contact information may need to be updated, please call your child’s school building.