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Parent Emergency Information Guide

The Pattonville School District cares deeply about the safety and well-being of students, staff and visitors. While schools continue to be among the safest places for students, Pattonville takes seriously its responsibility to maintain a safe and caring environment.

Safety planning, preparedness and prevention are embedded in the culture of our schools. Pattonville works closely with area law enforcement, fire, EMS and emergency management to ensure our schools are prepared in the event of an emergency. Each school conducts drills throughout the school year to help students and staff prepare for a range of possibilities, and safety plans are updated annually with the assistance of local first responders. Here’s what parents, families and the community need to know and do to help support Pattonville’s school safety efforts.

School Closings

Pattonville schools close only in case of emergency or extremely bad weather. Any decision to close schools due to weather will be announced using Pattonville's automated messaging system (email, texts and/or phone calls). Announcements will also be made on local television stations, the district website and Pattonville’s FacebookInstagram and Twitter accounts. When possible, announcements regarding inclement weather days will be made before 10 p.m. the day before or at approximately 5:30 a.m. the day inclement weather is expected. 

NOTE: If you are a parent/guardian and did not receive a phone call on a day when school is closed due to weather, please contact your child's school office to ensure the district has the correct contact information on file for your family. 

Pattonville may close the district or use a virtual learning  day or a delayed start on inclement weather days. 

On a district closure day, all classes will be canceled and district offices will be closed. An additional school day will be made up at the end of the school year for each district closure date.

During a virtual learning day, in-person classes are canceled, but students will take part in independent learning activities with online teacher support. Students should check their email and/or log into Canvas or Seesaw at the start of the school day to view instructions from their teachers and to find out when their teachers are available for support.

With a delayed start, all Pattonville schools start two hours later than normal (i.e., elementary schools start at 10:55 a.m. instead of 8:55 a.m.) and would end at the normal dismissal time. There will be no before-school care on delayed start days. Normal and delayed start times for Pattonville schools are as follows:

The district may need to utilize an early release in the event of inclement weather later in the school day. In the event of an early release, notification will be sent as soon as release information is available.

Weather Scenarios

Crisis Protocols

Emergency Number

The phone number provided is an after-hours emergency answering service. The number is for use by parents and/or staff members to contact administrators during evenings or weekends in the event of an emergency if they are unable to reach them through normal means. Call 314-576-0156 in the event of an after-hours emergency.

See something. Say something.

School safety is everyone’s responsibility. If you see or hear something concerning that impacts our students or our schools, don’t spread it: Report it. Call your child's school or, if it’s an emergency, call 911. You can also report tips via Pattonville’s QuickTip program.

When reporting something, please be as detailed as possible. All threats are taken seriously. Police are notified and officers and school administrators work together to thoroughly investigate any threat. Anyone who makes a threat - whether real or as a joke - could face criminal charges and students involved will receive consequences as outlined in the district’s student behavior guides

Safety Terms to Know

Below are terms Pattonville uses as part of its crisis planning, management and response.

  • 4E - 4E refers to Pattonville’s intruder/active shooter training, as required by state law. The 4E program stands for Educate, Escape, Evade or Engage and was developed by officers from the St. Louis County Police Department. The training provides staff and students with different options on how to respond to active intruder situations and keep students safe. The options are discussed and practiced with students according to the appropriateness of the students' age.
  • Drill - Drills are activities to prepare students to act quickly and minimize questions and fears should an emergency take place. Pattonville practices drills for earthquakes, fires, intruders and tornadoes.
  • Evacuation - Students and staff depart the school building due to a safety concern and remain at the evacuation site until given the all-clear from first responders. Students may remain on campus, meet at a pre-designated rally point near the school or be relocated to a reunification site, depending on the circumstances. 
  • Lockdown -  When a threat is on school grounds or inside of the school, the building will be on full lockdown with students in their classroom, hidden from view, with the door locked and secured from the inside. Students remain in the classroom in this position until the lockdown is lifted or an evacuation is issued. Note: If the option is safe, students and staff may evacuate to a rally point. 
  • Modified lockdown - This refers to a lockdown of the exterior building and is used when there is an off-site threat in the surrounding area and not on school property. In this instance, the building perimeter is locked down with instruction carrying on as normal inside (students do not travel outside the building).
  • Reunification - This procedure is used when the school is evacuated or closed due to an emergency. A designated location will be established for parents to reunite with their children. The reunification site may be at the school or at an alternative location. During an emergency, the district will share the location of the reunification site as part of its emergency communications as soon as possible. Parents will be instructed on the steps for reuniting with their children at this time.
  • Reverse evacuation - A procedure to move students and staff inside a facility when it would be dangerous to remain outside.
  • Shelter-In-Place - This is a precautionary measure aimed at keeping students and staff safe while remaining indoors. Situations that may require a school to shelter-in-place include natural disasters, severe weather, accidental or intentional release of hazardous materials or an emergency safety situation in the community. Depending on the circumstances, persons with proper identification may be allowed to enter and exit the building. Students may be kept beyond normal school hours, with or without HVAC. Food and drinks will be made available if students are kept over an extended time.