Campus Safety

JSerra Catholic High School is committed to providing a secure campus that offers a peace of mind and a safe educational environment for our students, visitors, faculty, and staff. Security staff are present 24/7 and patrol the grounds regularly. We also continually assess our practices as the landscape of school security across the country evolves.

JSerra's tight-knit community and technology allow us to quickly alert and communicate with one another. If you see or experience concerning behaviors, please report these to the school leadership immediately.

No school can guarantee 100% safety. However, we have taken a number of steps to do everything we can that is reasonable and innovative.

Take a moment to explore our philosophy and approach as we continuously work toward providing a thriving learning environment for all Lions.

General Philosophy of Security

The open nature of our campus lends a beauty and fluidity that all appreciate, but in recent years we have implemented a number of security measures to ensure further campus safety, including:

Monitoring the grounds 24/7 with both physical guards and security cameras
Locking down the campus between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Requiring all visitors to check in at the Front Desk between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Using the Titan HST app to allow students and staff to immediately report suspicious activity to school security

We also continually engage outside school consultants to inform our decisions and security plans so that we adhere to best practices and innovation in school safety:

Rocky Wicker at CT Watch, Inc.
Peter Crabbe at Chameleon Associates

CT Watch and Chameleon are leaders in the field of safety and security for schools, and they have also provided in-servicing for staff.

Physical Campus Enhancements

Additional campus enhancements we have implemented include:

Installation of security cameras across all 39 acres of campus
Security pass required for all visitors through the Hall Pass Program
Increased number of security staff
Bikes and enhanced carts for security staff
Modern radio communication technology for security and administration
Access control implemented on all exterior doors
Use of Titan HST app to allow for quick response times to suspicious activity on campus
New Security Vehicle purchased and outfitted with decals and emergency equipment for patrolling of campus
New traffic signal installed to provide a safer intersection for JSerra
School Zone installed on Junipero Serra Road
New security uniform to make it easier to identify security staff
Keypad entry and locking systems for all gates leading into the North Campus
"Found Property" drop-boxes placed throughout campus and security taking over the found/lost property system
Emergency food and water (Survival Items) purchased and placed throughout the campus for major disasters
AED's (defibrillators) purchased and placed in all teacher lounges
New swing arm gates installed on North and South Campus for easy shut down of campus
Ongoing working relationship and partnership with Orange County Sheriff's Department

Role of School Culture in Security

Besides monitoring the safety of our campus around-the-clock, we promote safety among our students by creating an environment in which they can safely address their concerns. These include:

Culture awareness of "see something, say something"
Small school size that breeds intimate relationships:
- Campus Ministry (both retreats and daily conversations with ministers)
- Personal Counselors
- Faith formation
- Hiring coaches for mission
- Identity Formation program
- Semi-annual parent-teacher conferences
Life Leader program
Emergency Planning Committee
Regular staff in-service drills that focus on crisis response
Security guards as allies for the students

School Security Request Form

Have a special event and need security assistance?

Please use this form to request school security for your event. JSerra Security appreciates at least one week's notice to ensure proper scheduling.

Your response will be reviewed and addressed within 1-2 business days.

If you have specific questions, please email Security Manager Maurice "Mo" Othic at mothic@jserra.org.