School Safety Officer

BERKELEY SCHOOLS
Berkeley, California United States  View Map
Posted: Jun 27, 2025
  • Salary: 29.19 - 35.6 Hourly USD
  • Public Safety
  • Job Description

    BASIC FUNCTION:

    Under the direction of an assigned administrator, patrol school properties on foot to provide security, safety and protection to students, personnel, equipment and property; enforce laws and regulations; respond to emergency situations; model and reinforce a positive school environment.

    REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES:

    ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

    • Patrol school properties and adjacent areas; protect students, personnel, equipment and property by performing inspections on foot for unsafe conditions, illegal acts and unauthorized persons on and around designated properties

    • Enforce District and school site policies, procedures, rules and regulations regarding campus safety, security and appropriate student behavior, correcting improper, unsafe, unruly activities and reporting infractions to school administration

    • Respond to emergency situations and administer first aid as needed; assist injured or ill persons; respond to calls involving alarms, thefts, disturbances, vandalism and malicious mischief in, or around school grounds; investigate situations and disturbances; collect and preserve evidence, take statements and support administrators in investigating incidents

    • Serve as a resource for individual students to discuss issues, provide information and make referrals to appropriate personnel; utilize strategies to mitigate and de-escalate conflicts between student/student, student/staff, and other individuals on campuses

    • Assist police officers in responding to and investigating incidents involving assault, battery, illegal substance possession and use and other illegal acts occurring on school grounds

    • Prevent entry and report presence of unauthorized persons on school grounds; ; notify law enforcement and detain suspects; assist or direct unauthorized persons to the correct location when on legitimate school business or escort unauthorized persons off campus and notify District administrators

    • Control foot traffic and provide security at school functions; may control parking and safe movement of vehicles in parking areas as needed; enforce District parking regulations

    • Prepare and maintain reports related to security of school premises and student referrals and incidents; provide documentation related to illegal activity to District administrators and police

    • Assure the safety of District students, staff and property; patrol assigned school site areas on foot before, during and after school hours; monitor and inspect security of doors, windows and gates

    • Investigate and report unusual, suspicious or criminal activities; investigate complaints and security notifications related to trespassing, loitering, vandalizing and other criminal activities; assure visitors on District properties have appropriate permits

    • Communicate with District personnel, law enforcement and fire and safety personnel to receive and exchange information related to security, vandalism, crimes and investigations of safety issues; testify in court and expulsion hearings as needed

    • Assist in the implementation and facilitation of the school safety and disaster preparedness plans; review and assist with lockdown, shelter-in-place and evacuation procedures, first aid and communication procedures and duties as assigned

    • Provide information and respond to inquiries from students, staff and visitors

    • Respond to and report fire and safety hazards; respond to fire and burglar alarms and extinguish small fires; summon and communicate with police and fire department personnel as needed

    • Administer emergency first aid and CPR/AED as necessary; arrange for emergency medical services as needed

    • Operate a computer, a hand-held radio, video monitoring equipment, and other job-related equipment

    • May assist with the supervision of students in detention or Saturday School and maintain appropriate records related to the assignment

    • Maintain orderly control of large crowds to ensure safety of students and staff; enforce safety regulations at District events or as assigned

    OTHER DUTIES:

    Perform related duties as assigned

    KNOWLEDGE OF:

    Methods, procedures and practices of effective student safety and security

    Procedures and laws of mandated reporting

    School security policies, procedures and regulations

    Crowd and traffic control techniques

    Health and safety regulations

    Standard broadcasting procedures of a hand-held two-way radio system

    Investigation and report writing techniques

    Record-keeping techniques

    Interpersonal skills using tact, patience and professionalism

    Oral and written communication skills

    First aid and CPR/AED techniques

    De-escalation and mitigation techniques

    ABILITY TO:

    Preserve and protect students, personnel and organizational property

    Enforce applicable laws, rules and regulations

    Analyze situations quickly and adopt a safe and effective course of action

    Report and respond to fire and safety hazards

    Apprehend and restrain individuals that pose immediate threat

    Interview witnesses, complainants and suspects

    Organize and write clear and concise reports of incidents

    Administer first aid, CPR and AED

    Communicate effectively both orally and in writing

    Communicate effectively with diverse populations including but not limited to, students, staff, administrators and the public

    Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others

    Understand and follow oral and written directions

    Operate a computer, two-way radio, video monitoring equipment and other job-related equipment

    EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

    Any combination equivalent to: graduation from high school and two years security, law enforcement or related experience

    LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

    Incumbents in this classification are required to complete coursework and receive the SB 1626 and/or other mandated certification prior to commencing employment.

    Incumbents in this classification are required to wear the designated District School Safety Officer uniform as provided by the District.

    ENVIRONMENT:

    Outdoor environment

    Possible fights and confrontations

    Seasonal heat and cold or adverse weather conditions

    Evening or variable hours

    PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

    Standing, walking or sitting for extended periods of time

    Dexterity of hands and fingers to operate school safety and security equipment

    Walking and running

    Hearing and speaking to exchange information

    Seeing to monitor student behavior, to read and to prepare reports

    Physical agility and stamina to apprehend and restrain individuals

    Bending at the waist and kneeling

    Reaching overhead, above the shoulders and horizontally

    Lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling objects and persons typically weighing up to 100 pounds

    HAZARDS:

    Contact with dissatisfied or abusive individuals

    Possible fights and confrontations

    Exposure to adverse weather conditions

    Working at heights

    Contact with blood borne pathogens infectious diseases and body fluids

    May come in contact with armed and dangerous individuals

    EXAMINATION INFORMATION:

    The first step in the examination process is the application screening and whether or not the candidate meets the minimum qualifications listed.

    The testing process may consist of a written exam; an oral exam; a performance exam; a structured interview (SI); a qualification appraisal interview (QAI); an evaluation of training & experience/education (T&E) and/or any combination thereof.

    ONLY the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) test requires and is mandated to have a passing score of 70 on each of the three parts of the test.

    All other tests will have a passing score set between 50 and 99 depending of a variety of factors affecting that specific recruitment.

    All candidates must pass the first examination process to be invited to the next step/test in the process.

    As the testing process consists of a minimum of two examination processes; the weight of each those processes may be determined at any step in the processes.

    Qualified candidates will be notified of the date, time, and place of the examination(s)/test(s).

    Candidates will be notified of the minimum pass points/test score for each examination and/or test in the examination process.

    OTHER: Proof of identification for completion of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, must be submitted at the time of processing for employment.

    SALARIES: All salaries as stated are based on present information and are subject to change. Appointments are made at the minimum salary shown in the posting and increases are granted at intervals based on anniversary date.

    Notification of Non-Discrimination Policy

    The Berkeley Unified School District is committed to fostering a positive working environment for its employees. Accordingly, BUSD practices shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying of any employee based on an employee's actual race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression; the perception of one or more of such characteristics; or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

    The Board also prohibits retaliation against any district employee or job applicant who complains, testi?es or in any way participates in the district's complaint procedures instituted pursuant to this policy.

    The following employee has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination regarding Board Policy 4030:

    Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator

    2020 Bonar Street, Room 116

    Berkeley, CA 94702

    Phone: 510-486-9338

    Email: nondiscrimination@berkeley.net

    Closing Date/Time: Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • ABOUT THE COMPANY

    • Berkeley Unified School District
    • Berkeley Unified School District

    About the District

    Since the founding of the University of California, Berkeley in 1868 and the establishment of Berkeley’s first high school in 1879, Berkeley’s community has been proud to be a leader in public education.  In 1968, the Berkeley Unified School District was the nation’s first school district to desegregate without a court order.  What you should know about our District:

     

    • Students are our priority.
    • We take pride in our diversity.
    • We hold high expectations for ourselves and our students.
    • We treat each other with respect and act with integrity.

    Berkeley Unified is responsible for educating more than 9,400 individual students in 11 public elementary schools, 3 middle schools, one comprehensive high school, and an alternative high school. In addition, the district has 3 preschool facilities and an Adult School serving several thousand students each year. With a tradition of excellence rooted in a vibrant community, Berkeley Unified alumni have become national and international leaders in business, civic society, politics, academia, sports and the arts. Students and staff in Berkeley Unified come from a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, surrounded by one of the most intellectually and culturally rich regions in the United States.

    The Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals of Berkeley Unified are encapsulated in the four E’s:

    • Excellence
    • Equity
    • Engagement
    • Enrichment

    Excellence in Learning, in Teaching, and in Service to our Students and Families

    Equity in Access, in Resource Allocation, and Educational Outcomes

    Engagement with Parents, Guardians, Families, and Community

    Enrichment in Curriculum with Music & the Arts, Libraries, Gardens & Nutrition, Science & Health, Physical Education & Sports

    Parent and Community Involvement
    The Vision for BUSD is one in which parents, family, and community are an integral part of each school. When parents and families get personally involved in education, their children do better in school and grow up to be more successful in life.  This is why Berkeley has dedicated resources and specialized staff to support the home-school partnership and to give all parents/guardians access to understanding opportunities and services available for their children.

    Public Support
    Over the past 25 years, the Berkeley Unified School District’s ability to provide well-rounded educational resources and opportunities to all students has been significantly boosted by the generous financial support of local taxes that augment the General Fund for specific purposes.

    Berkeley voters have overwhelmingly supported the Berkeley Schools Excellence Program (BSEP), a special local tax first adopted in 1986 and renewed consistently since then, most recently as Measure A in 2006. (1986 to present)

    Berkeley voters are as committed to the safety and modernization of school and district facilities as to the students and educational programs they house, most recently evidenced in the renewal of a maintenance special tax and a new facilities bond in 2010.

    • Facilities Bonds (1992, Measure BB of 2002, Measure I of 2010)
    • Maintenance Parcel Tax (Measure H of 2010)

    Very Low Class Size
    Berkeley Public schools have among the lowest class sizes in the state. While many school districts have exceeded 20 students in kindergarten through third grade, thanks to the BSEP tax measure Berkeley has maintained 20:1 since 1984. Grades 4 and 5 classrooms have average student-teacher ratios of 26-1, again much lower than the state average.

    • All Berkeley elementary schools have fewer students than the state average of 525 students — in fact, the Berkeley average is 375.
    • The average student-teacher ratio in academic classrooms in middle school is less than 28:1, and many math classes are 20:1.
    • The average student-teacher ratio in academic classrooms in high schools is 28:1.

    Because the Berkeley community recognizes that public education is the cornerstone of a productive, creative, and healthy society, all of our schools benefit from the generosity of monetary and in-kind donations.  Visit our “Public Support” page to find out more about the generosity and commitment of our supporters and how the many different funding and volunteer organizations enhance each child’s education in the Berkeley Public Schools.

    Show more

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