Safety and Security

Building Security

Student ID Swipe Cards & Keys

  1. For security reasons, students are responsible for the student ID swipe card and room key issued to them. Students may not give or lend either to others or leave them lying around. Violations of this regulation may result in a disciplinary response.
  2. Students must report lost or stolen student ID swipe cards or room keys as soon as they are realized to be missing. If found, any keys or student ID swipe cards must be turned in to Campus Safety or the Deans’ Office. A $25 fee will be charged to the student’s IA for replacement of a room key, a $15 fee will be charged to the student’s IA for replacement of a student ID card, and a $15 fee will be charged to the student’s IA for replacement of a student ID card/bus pass.
  3. Students found to be in unauthorized possession of keys or swipe cards should expect a disciplinary response.

Doors & Windows

  1. Outside doors must not be propped open.
  2. No one should admit any unknown guests into a school building, including all houses.
  3. After house closing in the evening, faculty, not students, should answer the door.
  4. Tampering with card access hardware or software, window or door locks, or security screens is prohibited. Violations of this regulation will result in disciplinary action, and the cost for repair or replacement will be charged to the student’s incidental account.
  5. Students are encouraged to report any malfunctioning of security systems, doors or windows to faculty (house heads, Campus Safety, or the deans’ office).

Fire Safety

Milton considers fire safety an issue of great concern. Therefore, the school expects adherence to school rules and to Massachusetts statutes related to fire safety. For reasons of safety, the school prohibits:

  1. the possession and/or use of space heaters, hot water heaters, coffee machines, electric blankets, microwaves, hot plates, toasters, halogen lamps, irons, rice cookers, air conditioners or immersion coils in student rooms.
  2. the use of extension cords unless they are UL-approved power strips with circuit breakers.
  3. any unauthorized use of fire (e.g., cigarettes, incense, candles, firecrackers, etc.).
  4. tampering with fire prevention devices (smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, fire alarm pull stations, etc.).
  5. propping open of fire doors in corridors, stairways or in common areas.
  6. cloth hangings (tapestries, banners, flags, etc.) and posters hung on the outside of student doors. (In a student’s room these may not be hung on the ceiling or in any way that covers a light or lamp. They must be firmly attached to the walls at all four corners.)
  7. hair dryers, curling irons and straighteners left plugged in when not in use.
  8. leaving a house kitchen unattended while actively cooking (using the stove, burners or microwave).

Violations of these regulations may lead to a discipline response.

Privacy

Milton recognizes that its students have legitimate privacy interests in their belongings and in their conduct. However, a student’s privacy interests are not absolute, particularly when those interests collide with real or perceived dangers to that student or to others, or when they collide with real or perceived violations of Milton’s rules and regulations, or of federal, state or local laws.

School Directory

All Milton students and parents have access to a password-protected online directory of student, faculty and staff names, addresses and other pertinent information. As with all school communications, we expect that this information will be limited to school-related use by members of the school community.

Personal Belongings and Dorm Searches

Milton reserves the right to inspect, search and/or seize any student’s belongings or property, including dorm rooms (e.g., lockers, lock boxes, cars, backpacks, cell phones, iPads, laptops and other electronic devices), at any time if Milton faculty, staff or other representatives reasonably believe that conduct violating school rules or policies has occurred, or that unlawful conduct has occurred, is occurring or will occur. Milton may take this action on its own, or in conjunction with law enforcement authorities, as it sees fit under the circumstances. No set guidelines can foresee or describe every situation that might arise, and the school cannot limit, in any way, Milton’s ability to act as it deems appropriate under the circumstances.

Lock boxes

The school expects that students will do their part in maintaining security by locking their doors, reporting lost ID swipe cards and room keys, and by reporting any malfunctioning doors or locks. For added security of small valuables, each boarding student is provided a lock box in their room. Boarding students are urged not to keep large sums of money in their possession (see “Allowance” section).

  1. Milton Academy bears no responsibility for items lost or stolen from lock boxes.
  2. Tampering with or modifying lock boxes is prohibited. Students are responsible for the condition of their assigned lock box; the cost for repair or replacement will be charged to the student’s IA, and violations of this regulation may result in disciplinary action.
  3. Any lock placed on a lock box by a student must be removable with bolt cutters. Students are responsible for their keys and/or combinations.
  4. Students should expect the contents of lock boxes to be inspected by the school.
  5. If a lock box cannot be opened at the time requested, for any reason, the lock will be removed at that time. The school will not bear the expense to replace the lock.
  6. Students will be held accountable for any contents in their assigned lock box.

Dorm Health and Safety Inspections

In order to ensure the health and safety of our students, house faculty will periodically inspect dorm rooms. The Deans’ Office will schedule the inspections and will communicate specific procedures to the dorm faculty involved. To determine which rooms will be inspected, two rooms will be drawn randomly. A student leader will be present during the inspection, and the student whose room is being inspected will have the option to be present during the inspection. The school will provide little warning for these inspections.

Other Safety Information

Drones

Students may not fly drones anywhere on campus without permission.

Outdoor Use of Recreational Equipment

Milton Academy endorses the use of non-motorized bicycles, scooters, unicycles, skates and skateboards as energy and time-efficient modes of transportation to, from and around campus. In the state of Massachusetts, children 16 years and under are required to wear helmets when riding bikes, scooters, skateboards, and skates. Due to the high volume of traffic in areas surrounding the school, the lack of bicycle paths, and the potential for serious injury associated with biking, skating, skateboarding or riding of scooters, all students, regardless of age, are required to wear helmets when riding, both on and off campus. Additionally, any student riding after sunset must have proper reflective gear. Students failing to abide by these guidelines will lose the privilege to bike, skateboard and/or ride scooters on campus and may have these items confiscated.

Students may not use, possess, or store small motorized devices, such as hoverboards, anywhere on campus.

Bicycle racks are available near the Schwarz Student Center, Cox Library, and the Athletic and Convocation Center (ACC). The school encourages students to lock their bicycles when not in use. The school cannot take responsibility for any injuries resulting from students biking, skateboarding or riding scooters on or off campus or for any loss or damage to a student’s bicycle, unicycle, skateboard or scooter.