Schools have an obligation to protect the students in their care. Period. Yes, a school's primary function is to educate children, but no school can perform that function if it doesn't first establish an environment that is fundamentally safe.

The school district in Stockton, California, offers a useful object lesson in what can happen when administrators and teachers fail to establish such an environment. The district has been criticized for a lack of emergency planning, so it's perhaps not surprising that students have also experienced a recent string of violent attacks at locations near campuses.

You have a right to know your child is safe when you send them off to school. If you're worried about their learning environment, we can help. The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team is focused on holding schools and school personnel accountable for their responsibilities. To find out more about what we can do for you and your family, call 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.

Trouble in Stockton

Let's talk about the public schools in Stockton, California. As a starting point, a Grand Jury report, assembled in 2022 and 2023, found the Stockton Unified School District had a number of problems in its School Safety Plan. For example, that plan contained no evacuation maps for use in emergency situations. It did not establish a clear set of check-in procedures for those entering campus buildings. And it did not address how to protect students with disabilities during emergencies.

To be sure, Stockton is part of the growing San Joaquin County, and that growth has put the various districts there under stress. An influx of students creates a demand for more teachers and staff, and it can expose holes in overburdened administrative structures, like outdated emergency plans and security procedures. You may live in a region of the country that is experiencing similar changes.

Ultimately, though, we can't allow school districts to get by on excuses. Not when child safety is at issue. Most states, including California, recognize this fact. That's why so many of them have enacted legislation aimed specifically at protecting children at school. In California, for instance, Assembly Bill 1747 School Safety Plans requires local education agencies (LEAs) to develop and implement Comprehensive School Safety Plans (CSSPs). This isn't a suggestion. It's the law. And when districts don't follow the law, they can be held liable for negligence.

The law doesn't make excuses, and as a parent, you shouldn't either. If your child isn't as safe as they should be, if they aren't receiving the education to which they're entitled, you have an obligation to hold their teachers, schools, and districts accountable, and you should never be shy about doing so. Nothing is more important to your child's future than their education.

Trust the Lento Law Firm

The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team can help you hold educators accountable for their legal responsibilities as educators. We can pressure districts to follow their own policies and to follow the law. We can also work with you to recover losses you and your family may have suffered as a result of their negligence.

To find out about all our services, call 888-535-3686 today or use the firm's automated online form.