📣 CALL TO ACTION: Demand Safe Classrooms for All Students in OUSD
To: Parents, Guardians, Teachers, and Community Members of Orcutt Union School District (OUSD)

We are calling on you—our neighbors, fellow parents, and educators—to join us in taking a stand for what every child deserves: a safe, stable, and supportive classroom where learning can happen without fear or chaos.

Right now, in multiple OUSD schools and classrooms, students are being evacuated repeatedly due to the unsafe and aggressive behavior of a few individuals. These incidents are happening far too often, and they are disrupting learning, harming mental health, and damaging the trust between schools and families.

This is not just inconvenient.
This is traumatizing.
This is unacceptable.
And this is a violation of every student’s legal right to a safe education.
 
🚨 WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Students are forced to evacuate classrooms due to one or two students escalating—screaming, throwing objects, breaking Chromebooks, or refusing to comply with safety instructions.
“HOLD” situations are happening weekly, pulling kids from PE, lunch, and class time with no warning or explanation.
Teachers are overwhelmed, unsupported, and unsure how to respond.
Parents are not informed, even when their children are directly impacted.
Many kids are reporting anxiety, fear, and school avoidance as a result.
This is happening across the district, not just in one classroom or one school.

 
⚖️ EVERY CHILD HAS RIGHTS
Under California Education Code §51101 and federal laws like IDEA and Section 504, students have a guaranteed right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)—which includes physical safety, emotional security, and uninterrupted access to learning.

When classrooms are evacuated or disrupted repeatedly, that right is being denied.

 
🛑 THIS IS A DISTRICT-WIDE FAILURE—AND IT MUST CHANGE NOW.
We believe in inclusive education.
We believe in compassion for students with behavioral needs.
But we cannot continue sacrificing entire classrooms of children in the name of silence and inaction.

 
✅ WHAT WE'RE DEMANDING:
1. Stop the Evacuations
Provide proper de-escalation training for staff.
Use evacuations only as a last resort, not a standard procedure.
2. Plan and Support Students with Behavioral Needs
Require clear, proactive Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs).
Include calm-down spaces, trained aides, and input from special education experts.
3. Use Restorative Practices, Not Just Removal
Have students reflect on the impact of their behavior.
Require restorative conversations and accountability before returning to class.
4. Track and Report “HOLD” Events
Publicly track how often classrooms are disrupted and how much instructional time is lost.
Use this data to fix what’s broken—not hide it.
5. Communicate With Families Honestly
Notify parents any time a HOLD or evacuation affects their child.
Offer context and support—not silence.
 
🙌 WE NEED YOUR VOICE
If you’ve seen your child come home upset, confused, or scared…
If you’ve heard them say they had to leave class again because another student was out of control…
If you’re tired of not being told what’s really happening…
If you believe every child deserves a calm, focused place to learn…

Please sign this petition. Share it. Talk to your neighbors.

We are stronger together, and we must act together—because our kids can’t wait.

 
✍️ SIGN THE PETITION TO DEMAND SAFE CLASSROOMS NOW.
Let’s hold our district accountable and create the schools our children need and deserve.