Skip To Main Content

Select a School

Madison Metropolitan School District

Select a School

Safety Communications

How MMSD Communicates Safety Concerns or Incidents with Families

In an emergency, schools aim to provide clear, factual, and timely communication with families and staff. Examples of emergency communication may include: weather-related closures, evacuations, community incidents affecting schools, transportation-related emergencies, or police/ambulance response to school. 

Follow-up communication to staff, students, and families is paramount to building a safe culture. Often, to address the crisis at hand, the School-Based Critical Response Team and the District Critical Response Team will be working together to share swift and accurate communication. This communication will come in the form of emails from school principals and/or district administrators, staff meetings, and continued follow-up.

Prioritizing Student and Staff Safety

When an emergency does occur, staff members follow a specific set of protocols, as detailed in the MMSD District Safety Plan. The safety and security of students and staff while managing an emergency response is always the first priority. We understand the desire to talk to someone at school as a reassurance, but when a school is actively dealing with an emergency, calling or coming to the school can tie up phone lines and take away resources needed to respond to the situation.

It is a commitment from MMSD that as soon as information can be shared, it will be.  Please note, privacy laws limit certain types of information schools can release to families and the public.

Information from External Outlets

We understand information travels fast, and that you may hear about something on social media, in the news, or through word-of-mouth before you hear about it from the school. When a critical incident arises, we encourage our community to focus on messaging from MMSD as the official source of information.  Our commitment to transparency and accuracy ensures that the information shared is reliable and up-to-date, so you can be confident about our emergency response efforts and any necessary instructions.

Update Your Contact Information

In an emergency or safety situation, families' contact information is pulled from Infinite Campus.  On a regular basis, log in to Infinite Campus, and:

  • Ensure your email and phone number(s) are current.
  • Keep your student's emergency contact(s) up-to-date in case we are unable to reach you. 
  • Add your high school student’s cell phone number to their Infinite Campus record. In an emergency, this allows us to text them important information. 

If you have questions about how to update your information, or you need help, email our Enrollment Office or call 608-663-4957.