June 12, 2025 2:50 a.m.

The Douglas Education Service District has announced the launch of the 2025-26 school safety initiative, “School Safety Starts with Us”.

An ESD release said it is a county-wide effort to promote safer schools through unity, empowerment and proactive reporting of school safety concerns. The campaign officially kicks off with the release of a collaborative public service announcement video that brings together students, educators, law enforcement and community partners to deliver a shared message: It is everyone’s responsibility to keep schools safe.

The project is led by Douglas ESD’s School Safety and Prevention Specialist, LeAne Bustamante, who provides safety support to 13 public school districts across Douglas County. Driven by a vision to foster collaboration and community commitment, Bustamonte brought together partners from across the region to help create an impactful message.

Bustamonte said, “I wanted to create something that united students and staff from every corner of our country”. Bustamonte said, “Our goal is to normalize reporting school safety concerns, encourage upstanding behavior, and empower our entire community to play a role in school safety”.

The “School Safety Starts with Us” video is now available to the public and will be shared widely across schools, community platforms and social media throughout the upcoming school year. It can be watched at: https://youtu.be/1Iqhy3Ag99k