Principal’s Role
When an individual within a school becomes aware of the sudden death of a student, be it a
homicide, suicide, accidental death, or the death of a student following an illness, it should
be the responsibility of that individual to immediately call the principal and inform him/her
of all the known facts regarding the death. It is important that the principal verify the facts
concerning the death, including who has died. (There have, in some instances, been
inaccurate accounts of who actually was deceased.) The principal needs to quickly assess
the impact this death will have on the school community (i.e., how popular was the person,
what extracurricular activities did he/she participate in, etc.) The principal will then take the
lead in the activation of the protocol and the process through which students will be notified
about the death. If the death occurs outside of school hours, the principal should call
members of the Crisis Management Team. The team members notify the entire staff that
there will be a change in the procedure of the normal school day and request them to come
to school early the following morning. If help, in addition to the building Crisis
Management Team, is needed, the principal should arrange to notify the appropriate
people. If the principal is not available, the Director of Operation or the principal's designee
will begin this process.
A phone calling tree should be established each school year in order that school staff may
be notified of school-related emergencies in a timely manner.