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Handle with Care

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students is one of our top priorities. As a part of that commitment, we are implementing a new program called Handle With Care. This initiative is supported by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and promotes collaboration between school districts and law enforcement agencies to better support students who may have experienced a traumatic event. 

Handle With Care aims to help students who have experienced traumatic events outside of school. Through a simple, confidential process, schools can be notified when a child has been present during a potentially traumatic incident requiring a police response. To be clear, the notification does not include information about the event itself. It’s simply a heads-up for the school to be mindful of the students’ potential needs. 

When law enforcement responds to a situation involving a child, they may send a confidential notification to the school principal indicating that the student should be “handled with care.” This allows school staff to be aware that a student may need additional support, understanding, or flexibility when they return to school.

Examples of incidents that may result in a Handle With Care notification include:

  • House fires

  • Domestic violence incidents

  • Arrests of family members

  • Drug overdoses

  • Serious medical emergencies

  • Other traumatic events where a child is present

Handle With Care has been successfully implemented in numerous Pennsylvania counties, including Lehigh, Northampton, Luzerne, Somerset, and 20 additional counties statewide. 

The District's next steps include:

  • Training administrators on the program, confidentiality expectations, and communication procedures to support affected students.

  • Implementing guidance for principals regarding appropriate communication with teachers and staff members who have a legitimate educational interest in supporting impacted students.

We look forward to implementing this because the Handle With Care program presents an opportunity to strengthen the partnership among schools, families, and community agencies while ensuring that students facing difficult circumstances receive the support they need to succeed in school.