Wash. School District Revamps Anonymous Tip Line for Students
The district hasn’t received a single call from a student to the tip line during this school year.
Spoken Public Schools officials will be displaying posters and other information on the tip line in school buildings.
Spokane Public Schools in Washington is publicizing changes to its anonymous tip line in hopes of getting more students to use the service.
The tip line will now be monitored 24/7 by school safety staff members after previously only being checked between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., reports Inlander.
The tip line was designed for school officials to field anonymous calls from students about potential misconduct like bullying, but not a single student has used the tip line this school year.
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SPS Director of Safety, Risk Management and Transportation Mark Sterk announced the changes this week as part of what he called a “rebranding.”
“It’s not new, but what I’ve found is that it’s not being used,” Sterk said. “I think the reason is that we haven’t kept it out in front of the kids and staff.”
Sterk also wants to add texting and email features to the tip line.
School staff members will be creating artwork, posters and brochures to put in hallways and classrooms to raise awareness of the tip line.
Anonymous tip lines are a great way for schools to connect with the student body and increase their awareness of things that could affect the campus.
The only calls to the tip line this year have been from police officers who make reports when they’ve responded to a call that may have left a child traumatized. That information is then shared with counselors and school resource officers.
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