Keeping kids safe is top priority in Dist. 15

District 15 administration has worked closely with police and fire departments for many years to regularly examine preparation for and prevention of dangers in its schools.

The District 15 Safety Committee meets regularly throughout the year to evaluate emergency plans, to investigate new components of the plan to make it more robust, and to ensure communication/coordination exists between all parties to ensure the district's joint efforts will be as effective as possible.

Below are some of the things the Safety Committee has implemented:

• A minimum of two lockdown drills annually at each school to equip students and staff members with the actions necessary should an intruder enter the school.

• Doors are always locked to ensure the swiftest securing of every classroom.

• Implementation of a one-button, dedicated button on every phone in the school to allow for direct contact with 911 dispatch.

• High resolution cameras at every main entrance to allow for secretarial viewing prior to allowing a visitor to enter.

• Raptor System of screening school visitors to ensure they are not on national databases of violent or sex offenders who are prohibited from entering schools.

• Annual rapid response training for law enforcement in schools (during non-student attendance times) equipping the police department personnel with understanding of District 15 buildings and developing skills to quickly enter a school to remove an unwanted intruder.

• Identification of relocation sites in the event that students need to be removed from schools and reunited with parents. (Parents are notified of the sites only when a precipitating event occurs).

• Police departments participate in Northern Illinois Police Alarm System. 99 area law enforcement agencies are ready to assist a community in need by assigning some of its manpower and resources to an affected community.

• Anonymous hotline for reporting suspicious individuals.

• Silent alarms in all facilities for direct contact with police departments.

• Reinforcements of windows and doors.

• Training of mental health workers in all District 15 schools; collaboration with mental health professionals from Alexian Brothers Hospital.

• Research on the use of protocols to identify and defuse threats.

These are some of the steps District 15 has taken in its attempts to keep students and staff safe.