A child goes to school. Then an emergency happens and the student has to be taken to another location.
So what happens now?
Albuquerque Public Schools has launched what it thinks will be a more efficient way to handle such emergencies: reunification cards. The new protocol is intended to make the process of connecting students and their families more predictable and less chaotic.
In previous years, parents would go to the reunification site and fill out a form before picking up their child.
“It was a time-consuming process, and that often led to families being frustrated,” APS spokesperson Martín Salazar said.
The reunification cards have barcodes that school officials can scan at a pickup location in order to reduce the time it takes to clear the adult, district officials say. It also eliminates the need to fill out a second form if there’s a later incident requiring reunification.
Albuquerque is one of many communities that has seen gun violence impact students. In 2021, a student was fatally shot at Washington Middle School, and the next year a West Mesa High School student was shot to death near the campus.
A gun was found at Valley High School Thursday, less than a month after the semester started. Salazar said 13 weapons were found last school year, including two in the possession of adults.
Read more about the incident at Valley High School here.
However, he said other scenarios that might lead to an off-site reunification include hazardous weather, a power outage, or an on-campus crisis. He said there are typically four or five incidents a year in the district that end with reunifications. Salazar said those are usually for situations such as a report of a gas leak or police activity in a neighborhood near a school.
At school open houses this year, APS parents were invited to sign up for the card.
On the back of each card are instructions for the reunification process.
Each family will receive two cards per student, district officials say.
Salazar said the reunification cards are optional and parents and guardians won’t be required to have them when they go to pick up their students.
However, he said, “we want to stress that the cards will provide a faster way to reunify students with their families.”
The district has released a video with information on the cards and an explanation of how the reunification process will work. Another video is aimed at district staff and outlines their responsibilities in case of an event requiring reunification.
Salazar said the use of reunification cards is considered a best practice and is recommended by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, an organization that operates programs for crisis response and post-crisis reunification.
“Our reunification cards were designed, in conjunction with our current district/school safety plans, to create a more organized and efficient way of reunifying our students with their parents/guardians in the event of an incident/emergency that would call for an emergency action such as an evacuation,” Salazar said by email.
Unforeseen circumstances, such as the loss of internet at the reunification site, he said, could force district staff to revert to the old system.
“But we’re hopeful that those types of situations will be the exception,” Salazar said.
Dos and don’ts from the video:
- Parents and guardians should only go to the reunification site when they receive notification it is time for reunification. They should also make sure to bring photo identification and either a reunification ID card or a filled-out reunification form, which will ensure proper reunification and also streamline the process.
- Parents may be notified of a reunification situation in a number of ways, including mass robocalls or text messages that could originate from a school or the district office.
- Students can only be released to individuals previously identified as their emergency contact. Otherwise, the school will hold students until parents can pick them up.
- In some circumstances, students 18 and older may be permitted to leave in their own vehicles. However, they can only take with them immediate family members.
- Parents and guardians going to pick-up locations should park as directed and not abandon their vehicles.
- In some cases, parents may be advised that a law enforcement investigation is underway and that interviews are necessary. Parents may also be consulted about emergency or medical information.
The “I Love U Guys” Foundation was started in 2006 by Ellen and John-Michael Keyes following a school shooting in which their daughter, Emily, was killed. The foundation is led and supported by survivors, family members, first responders and community members with a vested interest in safety, preparedness and reunification in schools.