Dear Sparta Area School District Families:
There is no question that spring is in the air. As we embark on the last third of the school year, the fruits of the year's effort will be realized. From performances, competitions, tournaments, and field trips to culminating projects, tests, and graduation, spring is a time when our young people find mastery in their current grade and prepare for the challenges of the grade ahead. Spring is a time to celebrate student learning as we witness our scholars do and think things that they were not able to do and think even a scant six months ago.
As we celebrate our students' achievements this spring, we do so with a heightened awareness about school safety. Given the tragedies at other schools across the nation, it is critical that we all maintain a high degree of vigilance and say something when we see something that seems "off," whatever "off" might look like.
Please know that the Sparta Area School District is first and foremost committed to student safety. Our school buildings were not designed with the same safety standards used today, and we have worked hard to retrofit our buildings to the best of our ability. The retrofits include a buzzer system with a camera and two-way voice communication, and surveillance cameras in school buildings and on buses. Our commitment to safety is why we allow only one public access point per building, and we require that all visitors provide ID as part of the sign-in process. We use the first name, last name, and date of birth on visitor IDs to run them through a sex offender database and issue a photo visitor tag.
We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of the safety features we have incorporated throughout the district the past few years. The tools and equipment we have installed have helped us develop procedures and habits that make school safety an everyday aspect of how we operate. In short, safety is part of everything we do.
I'm looking forward to a celebratory and safe spring!
Dr. Amy Van Deuren, Superintendent
