Reunification Process:

Reunification is the process of controlled release of students. A reunification may be required if certain emergency events occur at a school, such as threats to safety in the form of weapon threats, bomb threats, or building evacuations due to extreme weather or earthquake situations.

The school district works in collaboration with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, West Linn Police Department, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, and other community partners in the event of reunification. Safety agencies use the Standard Reunification Method, which is based on protocols established by the I Love U Guys Foundation.

Student and Parent Reunification is a protocol that makes the process of student release more predictable and less chaotic for all involved. Because a controlled release is not a typical end of school day event, a reunification may occur at a different location than the school a student attends. This is called an OFF-SITE reunification. The location of an off-site reunification will be announced to parents once students have arrived and the reunification center has been established. The district does not pre-announce the off-site reunification locations because it is critical that district personnel can set up the location and that students have arrived before the reunification process begins. It is important to understand that the reunification location will be in a place where students are safe and being taken care of.

Notification of a Student and Parent Reunification:

In the event that reunification is required, parents are advised to stay home until receiving communication from the district or law enforcement. This allows law enforcement and first responders to better secure the site prior to a controlled release reunification process. The reunification process will only begin once the district and law enforcement has decided it’s safe to do so.

Parents will be notified about a reunification process in a number of ways. Parents will receive a broadcast phone message, text alert, and email, including instructions about what to bring and where the reunification center is. Parents are required to bring ID and will be asked to fill out a reunification form at the reunification site prior to their student’s release. If a parent can not immediately get to the reunification site, a student’s emergency contact may also pick up a student. To update this information, access ParentVue and/or contact the school office whenever contact information changes.

For more information about the reunification process, please watch this student-parent reunification video.