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Board of Education Safety Statement
The Board of Education is deeply
saddened by the recent events at schools across our country. These
terrible incidents serve aas a reminder that violence can happen anywhere,
and schools must remain prepared to respond. These incidents
also underscore the challenge of protecting students and staff in
our free and open society. These events generated unsettling images
and powerful emotions. Our Board of Education and staff are sensitive
to the concerns that arise over such events, and we too, have student
safety as our number one priority. Overwhelmingly, schools are safe
and nurturing places for students, and school administrators and
staff are dedicated to making sure schools remain safe learning environments
for all students.
Last year, our superintendent and three other administrators attended
a state-sponsored workshop on multi-hazard crisis planning. As a
result of information gleaned from those workshops, our leadership
council began having dialogue about safety issues from a global perspective.
A committee was formed which included representatives from the Des
Plaines Emergency Management Agency and the Des Plaines Police Department.
The committee was charged with conducting an effective review of
the emergency and crisis response plans, protocols, and procedures
and the school safety drill programs of the district and each of
its school buildings. The committee is prepared to bring the recommendations
to the Leadership Council in November. Once the recommendations have
been reviewed by the Leadership Council, the Board of Education will
have an opportunity to review the recommendations at our December
Board of Education meeting.
Since the Columbine High School shooting incident and 9/11, increased
vigilance and attention to school safety have been on the forefront
of schools across the country. As a result, District 62, like many
districts across the country, has been regularly engaged in the process
of planning for safe schools, crisis response and crisis recovery.
Some of the safety procedures that have been implemented include:
- We have in place a comprehensive emergency planning and crisis
management plan that is currently under review.
- A picture identification system is in place for all employees.
- A proximity card system is in place which allows employees access
at appropriate hours and multiple doors at the building level have
proximity card readers
- Custodians are in uniform for identification purposes.
- Outside doors, other than the front entrance, have been locked
for several years.
- Police officers have visited all of our buildings.
- The fire department conducts a fire safety visit to each school
twice a year.
- Procedures are in place for guests visiting our schools.
- Each school has procedures for parents to sign their child/children
in and out of school during the school day.
- Safety is addressed with students from an instructional aspect
in the health curriculum in all grade levels.
With the recent tragedies, schools have stressed a heightened awareness
of the threat of violence on campus and the importance of being vigilant
about protecting the safety of our students. In addition, a letter
was sent home to all parents on the topic of safety. We will continue
to make safety a priority in this district and intend to do so in
a balanced and systematic manner. We believe that a combination of
strategies, rather than one or two extreme solutions, can be most
effective in keeping students safe. I would also like to reiterate
that schools are overwhelmingly safe environments for children; a
very small fraction of violent crimes occur in schools. However,
we must and will continue our efforts to make schools safe places
for all.
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