Emergency Communication

Communication During an Emergency

Our first priority at Alum Rock Union Elementary School District is to ensure the safety of students and staff during an emergency. As soon as it is safe to do so, staff will work inform parents through text, robocall and/or email during an emergency and will work to provide regular updates as the situation progresses.

What to Expect

Email, Text, and Automated Phone Calls

• As soon as reasonably possible, all impacted parents will receive a mass notification through ParentSquare informing them of the emergency. Initial messages are brief and may simply inform a parent that an emergency is occurring (i.e. a notification that a school is under shelter in place)
• Please ensure that your information is up to date on our parent portals by logging into your Home Access Center Account on our Parent Portals Webpage.
• When possible, a follow-up message will be shared with families. 

News Media

Notifications to parents are first priority in an emergency situation. After these notifications, ARUSD works with media partners during emergencies to share accurate and up-to-date information. Please look for the District's official messages for the most accurate information during an emergency.

Increased Phone Call Volume

During and after an emergency, a school's phone lines may be overwhelmed with the amount of calls. Please refrain from calling a school during an emergency. If it is urgent that you get a message to the school for the safety of your student during an emergency, please contact ARUSD's District Office.

Avoid Site of Emergency to Allow First Responders

During an emergency, no one except first responders and authorized district staff will be allowed onto campus. To allow first responders to quickly respond and support anyone impacted, please avoid going to a school during an emergency. 

The majority of emergency situations are precautionary in nature and in most cases, students finish the day and are picked up at their normal dismissal time. However, if pick-up is mandatory, we will notify families about the details for pickup.