Davis, CA — The Yolo County Grand Jury released a report this week raising renewed concerns about school safety protocols in the Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD), specifically in relation to potential active shooter threats. The report follows a series of previous investigations into school safety practices by the Grand Jury in 2016–17, 2019–20, and 2023–24.
This year’s review comes amid heightened public attention to school safety following an active shooter incident on April 12 at Community Park, located adjacent to North Davis Elementary School. While the Grand Jury’s report was finalized prior to that incident, it reinforces ongoing public debate over how best to balance community access and security at school sites.
The 2024–25 Grand Jury’s investigation was prompted by a public complaint asserting that DJUSD has not taken sufficient steps to “harden” its campuses against potential violence. The complaint specifically cited a lack of perimeter fencing and inconsistent classroom door locking procedures during school hours.
“If it was a priority,” the report notes, “planned bathroom trips could be scheduled” to accommodate locked doors, and “the Superintendent could communicate the priority to keep classroom doors locked as much as possible.” – Grand Jury report
In response, the Grand Jury’s Schools and Libraries Committee conducted site visits to Cesar Chavez Elementary, North Davis Elementary, and Davis Senior High School. Jurors toured the campuses alongside a district representative, reviewed signage and infrastructure, inspected classroom locks, and spoke with teachers, outdoor supervisors, and front office staff about visitor protocols and safety practices.
The report identifies several persistent vulnerabilities across DJUSD campuses. First, it notes that Davis Senior High School and both elementary schools maintain open access points to the public through adjacent city parks. This reflects a longstanding community value of keeping school campuses accessible and integrated with shared public space. However, the Grand Jury concluded that this policy compromises school security.
Second, jurors observed that many classroom doors were left unlocked during school hours, despite being equipped with functional locks. Some teachers cited high student foot traffic and frequent trips in and out of classrooms as reasons for keeping doors open. The Grand Jury found that this practice contradicts basic safety protocols and can be addressed with scheduling and clear administrative guidance.
Third, while surveillance cameras are installed at each of the three schools reviewed, the report states that these systems are limited in scope and lack real-time communication capability in the event of a security breach.
Finally, the report notes that DJUSD allocated $3 million for fencing projects in 2023 but, to date, no fencing has been installed.
Grand Jury Recommendations
In light of these findings, the Grand Jury issued three core recommendations:
- Install improved site cameras across open areas with real-time communication functionality to allow immediate response to intruders during school hours.
- Make classroom door locking a district priority, encouraging teachers to limit unnecessary traffic and keep doors secured as much as possible.
- Initiate the long-planned fencing project to better control access to school campuses.
The report stresses that locked classroom doors are a proven deterrent and can significantly improve response time during critical incidents. It also calls on DJUSD to prioritize these measures despite longstanding local preferences for open campuses.
While the Superintendent’s representative reportedly downplayed the need for additional fencing and stricter access controls—arguing that school shootings are statistically rare—the Grand Jury emphasized that rare does not mean negligible. “Controlling access and maximizing safety to the schools, the Grand Jury investigation is not adequate because of the open nature of the parks adjacent to the schools,” the report reads.
Under California Penal Code sections 933 and 933.05, the DJUSD Board of Education is required to respond to each of the report’s findings and recommendations within 90 days. The Grand Jury has also extended an invitation for response to the Yolo County Superintendent of Schools.
“Controlling access and maximizing safety to the schools the Grand Jury investigated is not adequate because of the open nature of the parks adjacent to the schools.” – Grand Jury report
The Grand Jury’s recommendations come at a time of increasing attention to school safety at both the state and national levels. The report references several state policies and legislative efforts, including California AB 452, which addresses parental notification of firearm safety laws, and SB 906, which focuses on threats of school violence.
State law also requires that every school develop and maintain a Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP). The Grand Jury’s report does not allege that DJUSD is out of compliance with that statute, but suggests that additional steps are warranted given local campus conditions.
One of the core tensions highlighted by the Grand Jury is the Davis community’s preference for school campuses that blend into public parks and remain open to the public. This design philosophy has long been part of Davis’s planning ethos and is supported by many parents and residents who value walkability and integration between schools and neighborhoods.
However, the Grand Jury report questions whether this cultural preference is sustainable in a climate of increasing concern about school violence.
In the report, the committee acknowledged that school shootings are rare but emphasized that preparedness is still essential. “If it was a priority,” the report notes, “planned bathroom trips could be scheduled” to accommodate locked doors, and “the Superintendent could communicate the priority to keep classroom doors locked as much as possible.”
In response to the Yolo County Grand Jury report, the Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) issued a statement emphasizing its ongoing efforts to improve campus safety.
“The Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD) has consistently responded thoroughly and promptly to the past three Yolo County Grand Jury reports concerning school safety. We just received the recent report and are reviewing the findings. We will provide a structured response to the latest report within the required timeline,” the district said in a statement.
DJUSD noted that it has implemented a range of safety improvements in recent years, including updated safety plans, routine emergency drills, closer collaboration with local law enforcement, and campus infrastructure enhancements. These include the installation of 125 standardized wayfinding signs and 75 directional arrows across all 18 campuses to improve navigation, as well as the deployment of Lok Bloks and motion-detection cameras at elementary and junior high school sites.
The district also highlighted progress on its strategic fencing initiative, aimed at improving campus access control. North Davis, Willett, Pioneer, Korematsu, and Montgomery Elementary Schools are scheduled to receive new fencing this spring and summer, with additional schools to follow in the next academic year. According to the district, these changes come after 18 months of planning and community outreach.
“DJUSD remains firmly committed to providing a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff and will continue to review and refine our practices,” the district added.
I disagree with the recommendation to create prison-like environments for our children – fenced in playgrounds and permanently locked doors. It seems to me that active shooters just walked through front entrances and a chain link fence is not a deterrent, but would just hinder avenues of escape for children and staff, hinder public safety response. I wonder where these people on the grand jury live.
I agree, Sharla. One of the things I question is why the grand jury decided to get involved in this when this should be a local policy decision made by the school district engaged in conversation with community members and stakeholders.
“Planned bathroom trips could be scheduled.”
I worked in public schools for 25 years. There was always some adult trying to control the excretory systems of the kids. It was always a fools errand because as everyone knows when you got to go you got to go. And then there are the girls who are sitting in class when they realize they need a tampon. Are they supposed to wait for a scheduled break?
Seems like the jurors forgot that they are dealing with kids and not robots.