Audit report shows some Arizona schools’ emergency operations plans not up to minimum standards
Dec 17, 2024, 4:00 PM
(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
(Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
The Arizona Auditor General’s Office released a nearly 100-page report this month, stating that of the schools it reviewed, none of the school emergency operations plans (EOPs) fully met the state’s minimum standard, and none of the schools fully implemented and tested their plans.
The EOP encompasses a plan for any type of emergency, which could include wildlife coming onto campus, toxic exposures or school shootings. This plan is somewhat of a blueprint for schools to activate if an emergency were to happen.
The standards are laid out by the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) with the help of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA). Some of the standards laid out in the EOP could include specifying relocation sites, transportation in case of an emergency, practice drills and more.
Scott Swagerty, director of the school audits division of the Arizona, said 47 schools across Arizona were reviewed. Of that, 30 schools from 15 different public school districts were reviewed as well as 17 charter schools. ABC15 asked for the names of districts and charter schools, but Swagerty said those names would not be released due to “potential safety concerns and the sensitive nature of the district- and charter-specific information.”
Swagerty added that they selected schools of different sizes, ranging from rural to urban and different enrollment sizes. Not all schools were in Maricopa County, either. They looked at schools in 14 of 15 counties.
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