Colorado charter school says students feel safer after adopting RedBag Program

Inside the classrooms at Stargate Charter School, about 15 miles north of Denver, staff have remained committed to making sure students feel at ease and able to learn without fears or distractions.

"We serve approximately 1,600 gifted and talented and neurodivergent students," said Robin Greene, executive director of Stargate Charter School. 

Still, even recent school incidents that have hit a little too close to home can spark uncertainty.

"Especially with the recent shooting in Evergreen, it's so hard to feel safe," said Audrey Pak, a senior at Stargate Charter School

That's why the school, including Greene, took two students' concerns to heart when they proposed that the school adopt the RedBag Program as a way to combat concerns when the school is under lockdown.

The campus implemented RedBag last year, and students have continued to support the program since.

"We shouldn't need to experience a school shooting to feel the need to be prepared for one," said senior Aubrey Iverson.

Inside every classroom throughout campus, students can now easily spot a red bag, equipped with all the tools students and staff will need in case of an emergency, but more importantly, access to communication with administrators and first responders.

"Every bag has a QR code," said Greene. "Anybody can scan it, whether it's a teacher, custodian, student, and what they do then is to initiate a check-in."

After that check-in process is completed, that information will be transmitted to a command center where school officials in charge can see which classrooms are accounted for and safe. If a classroom doesn't have access to a phone to do the check-in process, or if they're unable to for any other reason, those in the command center will make sure first responders go to that room first. 

"For us to be able to communicate both with the first responders and our teachers, that is a huge game changer for us," said Greene.

The bag also comes with life-saving tools like a tourniquet, if first responders can't get to a room right away.

"Having it there brings so much peace of mind," said Iverson. 

That piece of mind could not have come at a better time during a lockdown drill two weeks after the Evergreen shooting. 

"It makes us feel a lot safer at school knowing that there is a safety net and a way for us to communicate with teachers and admin," said senior Shane Frahm.

"The biggest reason is it reduces anxiety," said Greene. 

As one of the few schools across the state that has adopted the program, students and officials hope they can pioneer a wave of schools across Adams County to keep a bag close by.

"I feel like this is something that should be at every school," said Frahm.