Emergency & Safety

2023-2024 School Safety Plan and Parent Emergency Information.

Comprehensive School Safety Plans
Corte Madera School
Ormondale School

Approved February 8, 2024

PVSD is committed to ensuring the safety of students, staff, and visitors to our campuses. The District has developed plans and procedures to address a wide variety of potential disruptions.

Phone System Failure

In the event of a primary phone system failure (e.g., during a power outage), the these lines may be used to call in to each office. These are single-line numbers, so you may encounter a busy signal. If so, please be patient and try again, and limit calls to urgent matters only.

District Office: (650) 851-3700
Corte Madera: (650) 529-8553
Ormondale: (650) 529-2086

Note: Calls to these lines will only be monitored during times when the primary phone is not functioning.

Air Quality Protocol FAQ

In today’s California, destructive large-scale fires are becoming more common. Even when fires burn hundreds of miles away, the impact on the air in the Bay Area can be felt for days, sometimes weeks. Parents, educators, students and community members are right to be concerned about air quality.

PVSD serves a vital role for not only the education of our children, but ensuring their safety and security. Families depend on the District to remain open as long as it is able to serve and protect students, and doing so is our top priority. We recognize that parents are the best judges of the conditions under which their students should attend school when schools remain open during days with poor air quality.

PVSD has developed these FAQs to help guide parent understanding of the District response to poor air quality:

What resources does PVSD use to make decisions about air quality and our response?

School districts in San Mateo County rely upon two sources to track air quality:

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) website, AirNow.gov, and
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District, BAAQMD.gov.

These sources are calibrated and regulated, unlike other popular websites with less reliable readings. We encourage parents and community members to use AirNow and BAAQMD.
To help inform the District's response, PVSD refers to the CDE's Memo on Guidelines for Schools and Wildfire Smoke.

At what point will PVSD keep students indoors due to air quality concerns?

Using Air Quality Index (AQI) numbers from AirNow and/or BAAQMD, the District apply the recommendations from The Air Quality and Outdoor Activity Guidance for Schools to determine the appropriate activities based on the AQI.

•Air Quality index levels reach 101-150: “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” only students with a specific restriction regarding air quality on their PVSD Health Care Plan will be kept inside during recess, P.E. and lunch. All parents can contact the school office to request their child to stay indoors for recesses and lunchtime.

•Air Quality index levels reach 151- 500: “Unhealthy,” “Very Unhealthy,” or “Hazardous,” we will hold all physical activities inside for all children, including recess, P.E, and lunch.

•Field trips to indoor locations will move forward as planned. Outdoor field trips will proceed as planned when AQI levels are below 151.

How does PVSD monitor students who are considered a “sensitive group?”

PVSD refers to the Air Quality and Outdoor Activity Guidance for Schools (set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)) to inform its decisions for caring for students who have asthma and/or other respiratory health concerns. Staff will prioritize student health needs and follow student health plans. If your child has asthma and/or other related health concerns, please make sure their health plan is updated to include responses during days with poor air quality and that the necessary medications and the requisite directions are provided to the school.

When the Air Quality Index (AQI) is concerning while children are at school, what further measures will PVSD take to decrease exposure?

PVSD also refers to the Air Quality and Outdoor Activities Guidance for Schools Chart to make decisions on the location of activities. If the AQI enters the unhealthy range, PVSD will implement Shelter in Place Protocol. During “Shelter in Place,” students and staff may move freely inside buildings, and teaching and work continues. Recess and outdoor activities will be canceled or held indoors; movement outside between buildings is okay. Staff will close and seal doors, windows, and vents; shut down the classroom/building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to prevent exposure to the outside air. “Shelter in Place” may be modified depending on the air quality level, the distance between buildings, and other factors.

What steps can parents take to support their child during poor air quality?

Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about air quality concerns. Feel free to share these factual official advisories that are published by the Environmental Protection Agency. Being in conversation with your child and referring to facts helps reduce confusion. Other steps parents can take include:

If your child has asthma or related health concern, please refer to the above “sensitive groups” question.
Remind students to drink plenty of water.
Remind students to report symptoms including coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, and chest tightness. If symptoms occur, your child might need to take a break, do a less intense activity, stop all activity, go indoors, or use quick-relief medicine as prescribed. If symptoms don't improve, consult your physician.
Rather than walking or biking to school, children should be transported via public or private transportation. Limiting outdoor exposure is important.
If weather is cold, send child to school with long pants and a heavy coat or jacket in case the HVAC system is turned off. Conversely, if warm, please encourage students to dress comfortably.

Parents are welcome to provide face masks for their children.

Can parents keep their children home during periods of poor air quality and will the absence be excused?

Under what conditions and when will PVSD schools be closed due to poor air quality?

The San Mateo County Health Department (SMCHD) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) are clear that there exists no established number that would indicate the need to close schools. Our school district will rely on the direction of SMCHD and BAAQMD to determine the need for school closure. Should these two organizations recommend closure, PVSD will close schools. While no universal Air Quality Index (AQI) measure exists above which schools should close, SMCHD is clear that students are safer supervised at school than at home, potentially unsupervised. PVSD will not rely on the closure of other area school districts, even those closest to ours, to determine the need to close schools.

Are PVSD staff required to report to work under conditions of poor air quality and what accommodations can be made for their safety?

Yes, PVSD staff are required to report to work as per CA Government Code § 3100 & 3101. Like accommodations made for students when following “Shelter in Place,” the same protocols will be available for employees.

“It is hereby declared that the protection of the health and safety and preservation of the lives and property of the people of the state from the effects of natural, manmade, or war-caused emergencies which result in conditions of disaster or in extreme peril to life, property, and resources is of paramount state importance requiring the responsible efforts of public and private agencies and individual citizens. In furtherance of the exercise of the police power of the state in protection of its citizens and resources, all public employees are hereby declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.” Cal. Gov’t Code § 3100

“For the purpose of this chapter the term “disaster service worker” includes all public employees and all volunteers in any disaster council or emergency organization accredited by the Office of Emergency Services. The term “public employees” includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, city and county, state agency or public district, excluding aliens legally employed.” Cal. Gov’t Code § 3101.

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In This Section

Emergency & Safety

2023-2024 School Safety Plan and Parent Emergency Information.

Comprehensive School Safety Plans
Corte Madera School
Ormondale School

The Big Five

Wildfire Safety Information

PVSD is committed to ensuring the safety of students, staff, and visitors to our campuses. The District has developed plans and procedures to address a wide variety of potential disruptions.

Phone System Failure

District Office: (650) 851-3700
Corte Madera: (650) 529-8553
Ormondale: (650) 529-2086

Air Quality Protocol FAQ

What resources does PVSD use to make decisions about air quality and our response?

At what point will PVSD keep students indoors due to air quality concerns?

How does PVSD monitor students who are considered a “sensitive group?”

When the Air Quality Index (AQI) is concerning while children are at school, what further measures will PVSD take to decrease exposure?

What steps can parents take to support their child during poor air quality?

Can parents keep their children home during periods of poor air quality and will the absence be excused?

Under what conditions and when will PVSD schools be closed due to poor air quality?

Are PVSD staff required to report to work under conditions of poor air quality and what accommodations can be made for their safety?

Will PVSD be required to “make up” days that schools are closed?

Where can parents find the latest information from PVSD regarding air quality and school closures?

To whom should parents and staff direct questions or provide input regarding air quality and school closures?

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Links & Resources

Emergency & Safety

Comprehensive School Safety Plans Corte Madera School Ormondale School

PVSD is committed to ensuring the safety of students, staff, and visitors to our campuses. The District has developed plans and procedures to address a wide variety of potential disruptions.

Phone System Failure

District Office: (650) 851-3700 Corte Madera: (650) 529-8553 Ormondale: (650) 529-2086

Air Quality Protocol FAQ

Comprehensive School Safety Plans
Corte Madera School
Ormondale School

District Office: (650) 851-3700
Corte Madera: (650) 529-8553
Ormondale: (650) 529-2086