School Safety
Wabash City Schools makes the safety of students, staff, and our community the highest priority. Teachers can’t teach and students can’t learn in an environment that doesn’t prioritize safety. WCS exceeds the expectations of every Indiana school safety guideline. We have become leaders in county-wide safety initiatives and protocols.
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We run regular drills for fire, weather, and lockdown situations. Drills are an important part of school safety, and will be used as teachable moments for our staff and students. Indiana Code requires each school to conduct monthly fire drills, one severe weather drill per semester, and two man made disaster drills per semester. In addition, Wabash City Schools has established strong relationships with our local first responders and often have law enforcement presence as well as fire personnel at the schools during our drills.
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School Safety Staff
School Safety Specialists
Each school corporation is required by Indiana Code to have a certified school safety specialist. Wabash City Schools goes above and beyond this minimum requirement and has 10 certified school safety specialists. Each school safety specialist has completed certified training administered by the Indiana Department of Education focusing on the best and most up to date safety practices. Each safety specialist also completes two days of additional training each school year to keep up to date with the most basic as well as advanced fundamentals of school safety. Additional information on school safety can be located at the DOE website.
School Resource Officer
In partnership with the City of Wabash and the Wabash Police Department, Wabash City Schools is proud to have two dedicated School Resource Officers (SROs). These full-time, sworn law enforcement officers are specially trained in school-based policing, crisis response, and the NASRO triad concept of law enforcement officer, counselor, and educator. Officers Hipskind and Miller play a vital role in protecting and supporting students, staff, and families across the district, helping ensure that our schools remain a safe place to learn and grow.
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Officer R. Sam Hipskind
Officer Sam Hipskind has served with the Wabash Police Department since 1996 and became a School Resource Officer in 2013. He currently serves as the President of the Indiana School Resource Officers Association (INSROA) and has achieved the Master SRO credential. Officer Hipskind is also an active member of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO).
His certifications and training include:
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Crash Reconstructionist (Northwestern University Center for Public Safety)
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Certified Instructor (Indiana Law Enforcement Academy)
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Advanced School Safety Specialist (Indiana Department of Education)
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Master Level SRO (INSROA)
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Practitioner (NASRO)
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In addition to his service as a police officer, Officer Hipskind is a father of five and is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Wabash students. He also serves as a liaison between the Wabash Police Department and Wabash Fire and Rescue, and he leads safety training for district staff.
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Officer Ron Miller
Officer Ron Miller joined Wabash City Schools as a School Resource Officer in 2025. A 1991 graduate of Wabash High School and 1996 graduate of Indiana State University, Officer Miller began his law enforcement career in 1998 when he was hired by the Wabash Police Department. That same year, he completed training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.
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Over the past 27 years, Officer Miller has served the Wabash community with distinction. In his role as SRO, he is dedicated to creating a safe, supportive learning environment for students while building positive relationships between law enforcement and youth.
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He is married to his wife Amy and is proud to serve at the same school his two sons attend. Outside of work, he enjoys family time with Amy, their two sons, and their dog Bo. He has volunteered with Wabash Little League and loves all types of sports, especially cheering for the New York Mets. Building strong, positive connections with students, staff, and families is at the heart of his work both professionally and personally.
Visitor Information
Wabash City Schools’ exterior doors are locked during the school day. WCS requires all visitors to check in using our system, Safe Visitor Solutions. When visitors enter a school building, they are required to produce their driver’s license or state identification card for scan. This will check their record and produce a badge for the visitor to wear while in the school building. As the visitors leave the building, they will check back in at the office.
Visitor Resources
Pickup and Drop Off
When looking into student safety, another area of concern is student drop off and pickup lines. Our goal is to separate school bus traffic from automobile traffic as it is not safe to allow buses and automobiles to drop off and pick up in the same location. Each building has unique pickup and drop off procedures.