As required by the Illinois State Statute, our schools participate in fire, severe weather, bus
evacuation, and emergency response drills during the school year. To ensure our students and staff understand what to do in the case of an emergency, we plan and practice several drills throughout the year. We wanted you to be aware of the various drills so you can be prepared to discuss them with your child if the topic arises at home.
- Three (3) fire drills to address and prepare students and school personnel for fire incidents. One of these three drills requires the participation of the local fire department or district.
- One (1) bus evacuation drill for all students.
- One (1) severe weather and shelter-in-place drill to address and prepare students and school personnel for possible tornado incidents.
- One (1) lockdown drill to address active threat incidents and to evaluate the preparedness of school personnel and students. There are no simulations with this drill.
Each fall, our schools participate in a lockdown drill. Our experience in conducting drills has shown us that most students can participate with the understanding that it is just a drill. However, parents/guardians have the right to exempt their child from the drill. Should you feel this situation would be too traumatic for your child, or should you want more information about the drills, please contact your school principal. Under state law, schools must still provide alternative safety education related to an active threat to students who do not participate in the lockdown drill.
Each year, the entire District 140 staff is trained on our crisis prevention and response plan, which was developed in coordination with our local police and fire departments. We review these plans annually with all of the fire and police departments that serve our schools because we work cooperatively to keep students safe. After each drill, we reflect as a staff and with local emergency responders to determine if there are any procedures we might need to review with the staff and students.
We also focus on prevention by forming relationships with our students to provide support when they need it and so that they feel comfortable reporting to us when they hear or see concerning behaviors. Please reinforce this with your children at home. Let them know that they can also come to you when they feel unsafe and remind them that they should report any suspicions and concerns about school safety.
In the event of a real emergency, not a drill, every phone number associated with your child’s Infinite Campus record will be called using our notification system. We will also email parents/guardians and provide information on our website. We appreciate your cooperation and promise to communicate with you as soon as possible. Please be patient, as our first priority will be the safety of our students and staff.
Safe classrooms and work environments depend on our commitment to making emergency preparedness a top priority. We encourage you to engage in discussions with your child about school and community safety in an effort to be prepared to act in the event of an emergency. Should you have any questions about any of our safety drills, please don’t hesitate to contact your building principal.