School Safety Officer

FLSA Classification: Non-exempt, hourly employee.

Schedule

• 210 work days per year (not including paid holidays)
• 8 hours per day (excluding a 30-minute unpaid duty-free meal break)
• Possibility of additional work after school, on weekends, or during the summer
• Work year begins the Monday before Opening Day and ends on the last weekday of summer school in June

Pay

• Paid on the "Warren Police" salary schedule
• Starting hourly rate: $19.44

Benefits

Eligible for benefits on the "Support Staff" benefits schedule.

Reports To

The School Safety Officer reports directly to the Chief of School Police or designee.

About the Role

Under the direction of the Chief of Police, the School Safety Officer (SSO) is dedicated to providing security, ensuring environmental safety, and fostering a Culture of Safety across assigned school district locations. The SSO will adhere to policies set forth by the MSD of Warren Board of Education and will be assigned as needed throughout the District. The responsibilities of the SSO encompass three primary roles: Support, Safety Specialist, and Informal Counselor/Mentor.

Responsibilities

Support

• Provide a safe and secure environment for students, staff, and visitors on campus.
• Immediately notify the Warren Police and building administration of any emergency or potentially dangerous or unusual situations.
• Ensure compliance with mandatory reporting laws regarding suspected abuse or neglect, following proper protocols to protect students.
• Assist the Warren Police, professional staff, and emergency personnel in handling emergencies or disruptive situations.
• Maintain required paperwork and reports to ensure all complaints are filed with law enforcement.
• Comply with federal, state, local, and district laws, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Familiarize with and implement the Standard Response Protocol, Raptor, Evolv, and Bus Scans to enhance safety and security.
• Adhere to the District’s seclusion and restraint policy when working with students, ensuring that all interventions are appropriate, respectful, and in compliance with established guidelines.
• Patrol and monitor hallways, stairwells, restrooms, outside facilities, and other public unsupervised areas of the school to ensure safety.
• Provide supervision and security for school, district, and community-sponsored events.
• Assist with supervision of students during breakfast and lunch periods, and with morning arrival and afternoon dismissal.
• Appropriately address unauthorized visitors (with assistance from the Warren Police) and escort them to exit the building.
• Direct traffic and parking on campus; check vehicles for proper parking identification and determine whether vehicles are parked in restricted areas.
• Assist administration and teachers with support of disruptive students as requested.
• Ensure all doors and gates are opened and locked at designated times determined by administrative staff.
• Monitor surveillance equipment and assist with standard response protocol emergency responsibilities.
• Assist in ensuring a smooth traffic flow of students through the hallways and assist students with on-time arrival to class and other assigned locations.
• Develop and maintain good working relationships with local police, fire, and rescue departments.
• Record various information about security and monitoring activities, including daily activities, incident reports, maintenance requests, and sign-in logs.
• Patrol and set up for after-school events as necessary.

Safety Specialist

• Establish and maintain good rapport with students, staff, and community members.
• Promote student responsibility for behavior and attitude by serving as a role model and dressing and grooming professionally.
• Report any discipline infractions to administrative staff and support as needed.
• Encourage and ensure students wear their student identification badges.
• Perform any duties and responsibilities that are within the scope of employment as assigned by the School Safety Officer’s supervisor or assigned building leader, for the purpose of ensuring an efficient and effective working environment.

Training Requirements

• Successfully complete all District-required training through SafeSchools.
• Complete Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy (ISSSA) certification, CPR, Stop the Bleed, and any additional training required by the District or the Warren Police Chief.

Informal Counselor/Mentor

• Build Trusting Relationships: Engage with students in a friendly and approachable manner to foster trust and rapport, ensuring they feel comfortable seeking help or guidance.
• Active Listening: Practice active listening by giving students full attention, acknowledging their feelings, and responding thoughtfully to their concerns.
• Encourage Open Communication: Create an environment where students feel safe to express their thoughts and emotions. Encourage dialogue and reassure them that their voices are valued.
• Provide Supportive Guidance: Offer informal counseling to students facing personal challenges, helping them identify resources and coping strategies. Be proactive in reaching out to students who may seem withdrawn or in distress.
• Mentorship: Serve as a positive role model by demonstrating respectful behavior and a strong work ethic. Share personal experiences and insights to guide students in making positive choices.
• Conflict Resolution: Assist students in resolving conflicts amicably by facilitating conversations that promote understanding and empathy among peers.
• Monitor Student Well-Being: Regularly check in with students, especially those identified as at-risk, to monitor their emotional and social well-being.
• Collaborate with Staff: Work closely with teachers and school counselors to identify students in need of additional support and coordinate interventions when necessary.
• Promote Positive School Culture: Organize and participate in activities that promote school spirit and community, helping students feel more connected to their school environment.
• Conduct Workshops: Organize and facilitate workshops on topics such as stress management, conflict resolution, and healthy relationships to equip students with essential life skills.
• Encourage Involvement: Motivate students to participate in extracurricular activities, clubs, and events that align with their interests, helping them build social connections and enhance their school experience.
• Provide Resources: Share information about available school resources, mental health services, and community programs that can assist students in times of need.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED is required.
• First aid and CPR/AED training is preferred, in addition to other training or experience related to the essential functions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of school safety and security procedures, and experience working in a school environment preferred.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a valid state driver’s license is required in order to operate a district vehicle while on the job.
• Ability to perform the essential functions, meet the performance aptitudes, and fulfill the physical/sensory/environmental requirements of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations).
• Ability to display ethical and professional behavior in working with students, staff, parents, community members, and outside agencies associated with the district.

Skills

Data Utilization

Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data and/or information using established criteria. Includes exercise of discretion in determining actual or probable consequences, and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.

Human Interaction

Requires the ability to provide guidance, assistance, and/or interpretation to others on how to apply procedures and standards to specific situations.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization

Requires the ability to operate standard radio communication equipment, standard office equipment, and assigned motorized security vehicle.

Verbal Aptitude

Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude

Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

Functional Reasoning

Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as motivation, incentive, and leadership. Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.

Situational Reasoning

Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness, and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.

Physical Requirements

• Some tasks may involve the ability to exert extreme physical effort in very heavy work, typically involving some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling.
• Lifting, carrying, pushing, and/or pulling of objects and materials in excess of 100 pounds, such as when transporting sick or injured persons.
• Routinely wear a uniform and utility belt with the proper equipment (Note: School Safety Officers will NOT carry firearms).

Sensory Requirements

• Most tasks require visual perception and discrimination.
• Some tasks require oral communications ability.
• Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate sounds.

Environmental Factors

Tasks are regularly performed with some risk of exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dust, humidity, rain, temperature extremes, traffic hazards, and violence.