In the world today, a major concern faced by all schools is campus safety. With waves of fear and uncertainty that seem to increase across the country each year, school administrators and their policies are held at the forefront of accountability. At Northlake Christian, Head of School Glenn Martin’s philosophy of school safety reaches beyond security protocols. 

Martin shared some compelling information that further validates the increased belief that campus safety is very important and scrutinized today. “What used to be the number one reason that parents chose private schools was higher level of academic rigor or opportunities that couldn’t be provided in public schools,” he continued, “The number one reason that increasingly comes out in surveys for why parents choose private schools is because of safety and security.” A study conducted by Independent School Management backs up Mr. Martin’s assertion, stating, “ISM research has shown year after year that the primary reason parents enroll their children into a private-independent school program is for the physical and psychological safety of the student.”  In the eyes of Martin, safety and security of the school campus is not just protection against external threats, but it is also a safe and secure environment that provides the best opportunity for kids to learn. He explained, “A child who comes to school comfortable with their peers, comfortable with their teachers, comfortable with the administration can learn better than anyone who comes to school with fear in the back of their mind.” Martin believes in the philosophy of not only will your child be safe at school, but they will also be in a good environment of friends and have teachers that will mentor and inspire- not just teach. 

Upper School Principal Jenni Vega shared those same sentiments. “I think that a great strength of Northlake is the safe environment because of the family atmosphere,” said Vega. She elaborated, “Students care about each other, and teachers care about their students.” Vega expressed that since everyone knows each other, administrators and teachers alike can spot if something seems wrong or out of the ordinary fairly quick.

Lieutenant Brian ‘O Cull, supervisor of the School Resource Officer program for the STPSO, also commented on the environment at NCS. 

“The main difference between Northlake Christian and, let’s say, one of the public schools is because the environment of the school is different here at Northlake Christian,” explained O’ Cull. He cited the close relationship between students and the school faculty as a reason why that could be the case.

Northlake Christian holds tremendous belief in the importance of campus safety, ranging from the external security measures to the feeling of safety and comfort in the classroom. It is something that NCS leaders do not take lightly. Many hours are spent making sure that Northlake’s practices and policies ensure the parent and student that they are getting the very best when it comes to safety at school.