Our School

Parent/Guardian Notification of Safety Protocols

Dear Albuquerque Public Schools Community, 

We live in a world where we are bombarded with news about bad things happening in places near and far. Schools are statistically among the safest places to be on a day-to-day basis, but, as we have seen, they’re not immune from calamity.

Given that reality, we recognize that we, as a district, must be vigilant and do everything in our power to prepare our staff and students for critical incidents. We know we also have a responsibility to provide you with timely, accurate, and clear information as school emergencies unfold.

Communication will likely be handled through official channels such as aps.edu, social media sites, phone, and email messages.

If you are a parent, guardian, student, or APS employee, here’s what you can expect to be communicated to you during a critical incident that occurs while school is in session: 

• Information that a shelter in place has been initiated will be posted on the homepage of aps.edu, individual school websites affected, and on Twitter.
• If you have opted into our mass communication system, you will be notified via School Messenger by phone and/or email once law enforcement has activated a shelter in place or lockdown. Please ensure your personal contact information is updated at your school site.
• APS will communicate with law enforcement and update you via aps.edu, individual school websites, School Messenger, and social media platforms as the new details are confirmed.
• Should an early dismissal of school and/or regular transportation be canceled, your child will be kept on campus with adult supervision until you can arrange to pick them up. 
• You will also be notified if transportation is still available, schedules are disrupted, students can walk home, high school students can drive themselves and others home, or if after-school activities are canceled. 
• Every APS school and work site has a detailed school safety plan. You will be notified via the platforms mentioned above in the event of an evacuation. 
• The school’s relocation and family reunification plan will be activated in an off-campus evacuation. Students will only be released from the relocation site to custodial parents/guardians or persons identified on the school emergency card.
• All messaging platforms will notify you once the situation has been contained and law enforcement determines the next steps.
• A letter explaining what happened and any other essential information will be sent to the families impacted by the day’s events.

Please note that every situation is different, and decisions are made based on the best information available at that moment. Due to the unpredictable nature of emergencies, it is not possible to guarantee that a robocall or post will follow every development in a crisis. We ask for your patience if communication is not as fast as you would like. The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority.

We know these situations create fear and uncertainty, and we commit to providing you with information as soon as it is available. 

APS Communications

Parent/Guardian Notification of Safety Protocols (PDF)