D140 Safety Drills During the 2024-25 School Year

As Illinois State Statute requires, our schools participate in fire, severe weather, bus evacuation, and emergency response drills during the school year. We plan and practice several drills throughout the year to ensure our students and staff understand what to do in an emergency. 

We wanted you to be aware of the various drills so you can discuss them with your child if the topic arises at home. Please review the list below.

• Three (3) fire drills 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 addresses active threat incidents and evaluates the preparedness of school personnel and students; there are no simulations with this drill.  

Each fall, our school will 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. If you feel this situation would be too traumatic for your child, or if you want more information about the drills, please contact your school principal.  Under state law, schools must still provide alternative safety education about an active threat to students who do not participate in the lockdown drill.

The entire District 140 staff is trained each year on our crisis prevention and response plan. These plans are developed in coordination with our local police and fire departments and reviewed annually. After each drill, we reflect as a staff and with local emergency responders to determine if there are any procedures we 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 they can also come to you when they feel unsafe and remind them to report any suspicions and concerns about school safety.

In a real emergency, not a drill, every emergency contact 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 prioritizing emergency preparedness. 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. If you have any questions about any of our safety drills, please don’t hesitate to contact your building secretary.