Civil Grand Jury Report: Safe at School – Let’s Get Educated
SUMMARY: Do Marin County’s children feel safe at school? School climate surveys indicate many students do not.
A highly publicized attack at a Novato middle school last year and a spate of school violence headlines prompted a closer look at how public schools respond to their students’ fears, using the Novato Unified School District (NUSD) as a case study.
The Marin County Civil Grand Jury (Grand Jury) focused on the NUSD because of its recent experience addressing a violent attack on a school campus. The NUSD has done extensive work to reinforce and develop policies to address issues plaguing an education system struggling to keep up with Twenty-first-Century cultural shifts. While the NUSD has made a good start, the Grand Jury is asking the NUSD to do more by extending and maintaining a clearer focus on consistency and training around discipline, using their security resources more effectively, and improving communication.
The full report can be accessed at:
https://www.marincounty.gov/sites/g/files/fdkgoe241/files/2025-04/feeling-safe-at-school.pdf