School Safety

To ensure the highest level of safety, our district has implemented the Standard Response Protocol (SRP). The SRP is a set of clear, standardized actions that all students and staff are trained to follow in a number of emergency situations. Developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, the SRP is designed to provide consistent, efficient and easily understandable responses during critical incidents.

• Secure – “Secure the Perimeter” – This is for external threats, such as severe weather. Everyone moves inside and secures doors.

• Lockdown – “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” – Used when a threat is inside the building. All classroom doors are locked, lights are turned off, and students are instructed to stay out of sight and maintain silence.

• Evacuate – “To a Location” – Used to move students and staff from one location to another, often in response to a fire or other environmental hazard. Evacuation procedures are carefully planned and practiced to ensure a quick and orderly exit.

• Shelter – “For Hazard and Safety” – Used for group and individual protection, such as during severe weather events. Depending on the situation, students and staff will follow specific sheltering procedures to stay safe.

• Hold – “In Your Classroom” – This is used for minor disruptions or when more information is needed.  During a hold students remain in their learning spaces and learning occurs as normal.  This may be used if an ambulance is called for a student or staff member.

In compliance with the Illinois School Safety Drill Act, CCSD21 conducts the following safety drills throughout the school year, including Safety Week initiatives during the fall and spring semesters:

Fire Drills: This drill is used to practice moving people from one location to another for safety reasons. Evacuation preparation involves the identification of facility evacuation routes and assembly points.

Severe Weather and Shelter-in-Place Drills: This drill is used to practice specific protective actions needed based on a threat. Sheltering requires that all students and staff follow response directives. Each classroom has a specific, identified location of their shelter area in the school building.

Law Enforcement Drill (Lockdown): This drill is used to practice responses when there is a threat inside the building. It uses classroom and school security actions to protect students and staff from the threat. In a lockdown, it is “locks, lights, out of sight.” All classroom doors in CCSD21 remain locked during instruction. Staff will ask students to move out of the line of sight of hallway windows and turn off lights to make the room appear unoccupied.

Bus Evacuation Drill: This drill is used for students who use school transportation, teaching them how to safely evacuate a bus in an emergency.

Families are notified in advance of all scheduled drills. If you wish to exempt your child from participating in any specific drill, please notify your child’s teacher or the school principal ahead of time. We respect the needs and preferences of all families and offer the option to opt out of drills.

These drills help ensure that all students and staff know exactly what to do in an emergency, reducing confusion and enhancing our overall preparedness. Our staff also undergo continuous training on SRP to stay updated on best practices and new safety procedures.

In addition to our regular drills, as well as our Standard Response Protocols, our district is fortunate enough to have dedicated School Resource Officers on our campuses. Our SROs are experienced law enforcement professionals who are specially trained to work in educational settings. They play a crucial role in maintaining a safe school environment through a combination of proactive security measures and positive engagement with students.

Our SROs for the 2024-2025 school year are:

• Officer Michael Essig of the Buffalo Grove Police Department (for Cooper, Poe, Longfellow and Kilmer)
• Officer Devin Ladesic of the Wheeling Police Department (for Holmes, Frost, Twain and Whitman) (and Hawthorne)
• Officer Lukasz Czapla of the Wheeling Police Department (for London, Field, Riley and Tarkington)

In the event of an emergency, CCSD21 will communicate with families via ParentSquare (email, text), as well as the district and school websites and social media channels. As emergency situations are often fluid, the district will prioritize gathering real-time information to provide the most succinct, up-to-date information.

Ensuring the safety and security of our students, staff and community is a shared responsibility. Our district offers a number of channels to report safety concerns, ensuring that everyone can contribute to a secure environment.

Safe2Help Illinois Reporting Tool: Safe2Help Illinois is a state-wide initiative offering a confidential and anonymous platform for students and community members to report school safety issues, including bullying, suicidal thoughts, violence, and other threats. This tool is available 24/7 through various channels, including a website, mobile app, text (SAFE2 to 72332), and phone call (844-4-SAFEIL). It is specifically designed to help students “Seek Help Before Harm” and is not intended to punish but to provide necessary support and intervention​. 

Direct Reporting: Concerns can also be directly reported to school staff, including teachers, principals, or any member of the administration. This option is available for those who prefer in-person communication.

Emergency Situations: For immediate threats or emergencies, please call 911. This ensures a prompt response from local law enforcement and emergency services to protect everyone involved.

All visitors, including parents/guardians and siblings, are required to enter through the front door of the building and proceed immediately to the main office. Visitors should identify themselves and inform office personnel of their reason for being at school. Before entering the building, all visitors must complete the district’s visitor management process.

Check-In with the Front Office: Upon entering the building, all visitors must check in at the front office with the secretary.

Identification Requirements: Visitors must present a valid government-issued ID, which will be scanned through our Raptor system. This process is critical for verifying the identity of all individuals entering the district’s property and ensuring only authorized access.

Visitor Badge: After verification, visitors will receive a printed badge, which they must wear at all times while in the building. This badge includes the visitor’s name, photo, date and time of entry, ensuring clear identification throughout their visit. This badge must be returned upon leaving the school.

Special Instructions for Large Groups: On occasions when large groups are invited onto school/district property, visitors may not be required to sign in individually, but must follow instructions provided by school or district officials.

Identification Requests and Enforcement: Any staff member may request identification from any person on school property. Refusal to provide such information is considered a criminal act. Unauthorized individuals will be asked to leave and may face legal consequences.

Requests to Access: Requests to access a school building, facility and/or educational program, or to interview personnel or a student for purposes of assessing the student’s special education needs, should be made at the appropriate building. Access shall be facilitated according to guidelines from the superintendent or designee.

Behavior While on Campus: CCSD21 expects mutual respect, civility and orderly conduct among all people on school property or at a school event.

Ensuring the safety of our students during arrival and dismissal times is a top priority. Our traffic and parking lot safety guidelines are designed to protect everyone, including those arriving by car, walking, biking, or taking the bus. We encourage all parents, guardians, and students to adhere to the best drop-off and pick-up practices established by your individual school for a smooth and safe experience.

Safety Reminders:

• Stay off your phone during drop-off and pick-up times to avoid distractions.
• Drive slowly and be alert to your surroundings, especially near the school where children may be present.
• Do not block handicap spaces unless you have a state-approved permit. These spaces are reserved for those who need special access.

Walking to School: For students walking to school, safety is a critical concern. Here are some safety tips for pedestrians:

• Plan a safe route for your child to walk to school. Make sure it includes crossing guards and traffic lights, where possible.
• Children should always use crosswalks and avoid darting out between parked cars.
• Teach children to stop at the curb, look left, right and left again, before crossing.
• Encourage them to walk, not run, across the street to prevent falls or accidents.
• Encourage children to walk facing traffic if there are no sidewalks.
• Ensure that drivers see pedestrians before crossing in front of them. Cross at least 10 feet in front of a school bus.

For more resources and information on safe routes to school, please visit the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

These guidelines are crucial for ensuring the safety of our students and community. Please contact your building’s principal if you have any questions or need further clarification about the drop-off and pick-up systems at your school.

Passive security cameras are in place inside and outside all schools in CCSD21. These cameras are meant to provide surveillance of the areas immediately surrounding our school buildings and of visitors to each school, provide a deterrent for inappropriate behavior by students, and assist investigations into student misconduct or building vandalism.

Each school within the district contains vestibules at the entrance of a building that are monitored by security cameras. These entrances do not allow visitors access to the main hallways; rather, they must be buzzed in by office staff from the outside, where they can begin the verification and sign-in process before being given access to the building.

In partnership with local first responders, CCSD21 emphasizes the importance of safe firearm storage to prevent accidents and ensure a secure environment.

Families are encouraged to securely store firearms, using locks and keeping them separate from ammunition. Educating children about the dangers of firearms is also crucial.

For more information on safe firearm practices, visit Be SMART. This initiative provides valuable resources for educators and families to promote firearm safety.

By working together, we can maintain a safe and informed community. For further assistance, please contact your school’s administration.

CCSD21 and the Board of Education have policies and procedures in place to prevent sex offenders from working in schools. All persons recommended for employment must undergo a criminal background check and fingerprinting before they are allowed to work within the district. We are also required by law to inform parents of available information on sex offenders via the Statewide Sex Offender Database.

The Sex Offender Registry was created in response to the Illinois Legislature’s determination to facilitate access to publicly available information about sex offenders. All requests for additional information about sex offenders and the Sex Offender Database should be addressed with local law enforcement officials.

Any district employee who has reasonable cause to believe that a student may be an abused or neglected child shall immediately report such a case or cause a report to be made to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

If you suspect that a child has been harmed or is at risk of being harmed by abuse or neglect, call the 24-hour Child Abuse Hotline at 800-25-ABUSE (800-252-2873). If you believe a child is in immediate danger of harm, call 911 first. Your confidential call will not only make sure the child is safe but also help provide the child’s family with the services they need to provide a safe, loving, and nurturing home.

CCSD21 is committed to raising awareness and knowledge of issues regarding child abuse, including child sexual abuse in compliance with Erin’s Law. Warning signs of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, can include physical signs – such as unexplained bruises, burns, black eyes, welts, or other injuries, pain, difficulty walking or sitting, redness or injury in the genital or anal area – as well as non-physical signs. Information on the warning signs of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, grooming behaviors, and boundary violations, is available at erinslaw.org and preventchildabuseillinois.org, including the following information:

Warning Signs of Child Abuse

• Nightmares
• Trouble sleeping
• Bed wetting
• Change in appetite
• Fear of certain people, places, activities
• Mood swings: Rage, Anger, Fear, anxiety, insecure or withdrawn
• Depression
• Aggression
• Feeling shameful or guilty
• Isolating oneself
• Withdrawal from someone
• Resisting removing clothes during appropriate times (bedtime, bath time)
• Change in academics
• Running away from home
• Suicidal thoughts
• Acting out sexually
• Exhibits adult sexual behaviors, knowledge, and language
• Eating disorders
• Self injury
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Promiscuous activity
• Running away
• Suicidal
• Depression and anxiety

Possible signs of an adult engaging in grooming behavior/boundary violations/sexual abuse:

• Giving a child special attention
• Trying to spend a lot of time alone with a child
• Buying child expensive gifts or giving them money
• Treating a child as a “favorite” from other children
• Physical affection towards child: kissing, hugging, holding hands, or wanting to be very close to a child

Additional Information on preventing and reporting child abuse and information on how to obtain assistance, referrals and resources on child abuse, including child sexual abuse, is available from the Illinois State Board of Education in its Sexual Abuse Response and Prevention Resource Guide, and from Preventing Child Abuse Illinois in the following brochures:

• Today’s Children, Tomorrow’s Future: What Everyone Can Do to Prevent and Respond to Child Abuse
• Child Sexual Abuse: Raising Awareness and Protecting Children

For questions or additional support or assistance from the District, including information on the availability of counseling or additional student supports, please contact your school’s administrator or counselor.