What happens during a lockdown in U-46?

Two incidents last year placed Elgin Area School District U-46 campuses on lockdown - an April firecracker prank at South Elgin High and the Elgin High teacher stabbing in January.

Lockdown is a safety precaution used by school districts in dangerous situations, parents know. But just what happens during one?

At a lockdown training this week at Hillcrest Elementary School in Elgin, district safety czar John Heiderscheidt detailed a plan being outlined to teachers at each of the district's 53 campuses. Here's what they learned:

• How does a school get put on lockdown?

A person on a school campus who appears to be causing harm or posing a significant threat to others constitutes the need for a lockdown, Heiderscheidt said. Teachers who notice the threat are instructed to call their school's office through the intercom in their classroom. The school office staff will then call the police, placing the school on lockdown.

• What happens then?

"This is a lockdown, move to your lockdown positions," will be repeated several times over a school's loudspeaker. With that alert, teachers are to move to the closest room possible, locking the door behind them. All teachers have been given lockdown keys that lock their classrooms from the inside out.

• If students, who normally would be in trouble for having cell phones, whip them out to call or text parents, that's OK, Heiderscheidt said.

"We're not going to fight with kids about phones. Tell them it's OK ... just to keep quiet so they'll be safe."

• What happens if a student is still in the bathroom?

It's more important for a teacher to stay with the rest of the class rather than search for that one student, Heiderscheidt said. Teachers can avoid losing students by instructing them to head to the nearest classroom from the bathroom if they hear the lockdown alert.

• How do police officers know what classrooms are OK, and others aren't?

Teachers have received green cards and red cards that indicate to law enforcement officials that they are OK or in need of immediate help.

• What happens in the rest of the district?

If a school is placed on lockdown, bus transportation would be halted

around the district until the incident is resolved, Heiderscheidt said.

U-46 aims to inform parents and staff of the details of an incident within an hour via its reverse calling system.

Heiderscheidt implemented the centralized plan shortly after he was hired in 2006. Schools are now required to conduct three fire drills, one severe weather drill, one bus evacuation drill and one lockdown drill annually.