Safety

SCHOOL SAFETY

The safety of our children is a continuing responsibility of home, school, and community. Please urge your children to 1) go to and from school by the safest, most direct route, without loitering; 2) use the sidewalks when walking, and cross only at marked intersections; 3) use the sidewalks, except in the business district, for bicycling; 4) use the right side of the road where no sidewalk exists; 5) await the school bus in an orderly manner; and 6) younger children should always be escorted across train tracks by a responsible adult and everyone should cross tracks only in designated areas when it is safe to do so; and 7) understand what to do in the event schools must close early and students must be sent home before the usual dismissal time.

See visitor management policy for information regarding properly checking visitors in and out of the school. All employees, students, students’ parents, and visitors are reminded to refrain from propping doors open or letting others in the school. Direct visitors to the main entrance. Report any suspicious behavior to the school office immediately.

Firearm Concealed Carry Act

(ref 430 ILCS 66/1)
According to the Illinois Concealed Carry Act, a person licensed to carry a firearm may not knowingly carry a concealed firearm into a school facility. Clear and conspicuous signs have been posted on all of our campuses indicating that no firearms are allowed.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

In accordance with the School Safety Drill Act, District 67 maintains a comprehensive emergency management plan. All students participate in safety drills such as fire drills, a bus evacuation drill, shelter-in-place exercises, and lock downs. Protecting the welfare and safety of our students and staff in times of natural or man-made disasters is of utmost importance to us.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN

The safety of the students and staff in our school environment is a top priority in Lake Forest. In April of 2000, District 67 adopted a comprehensive Emergency Operations Plan. We prepared this plan with the assistance of police and fire personnel, district emergency teams, as well as outside consultants. Periodically, school administrators, faculty, and support staff meet to review procedures and make additional preparations and adjustments to ensure preparedness.

The emergency operations plan details the action that will be taken during critical incidents affecting our students, staff and facilities. The District 67 plan delineates three levels of response, which allows administration and staff members to know whether to standby or take action depending on the severity and proximity of the problem. There are also three basic responses in which staff members have been trained. These are:

Shelter-in-place - Measures would be taken to protect students and staff within the building should there be an emergency, which involves an occurrence outside the building, such as a weather emergency or hazardous materials situation.

Building or Classroom Lockdown - Lockdown is a measure to protect students and staff from internal or external threats by excluding or isolating the threat. This option requires the ability to quickly secure classrooms, exterior doors and the school facility. The integrity of the structure of the building would not be in question.

Building Evacuation - If an emergency situation involving one of our buildings would occur, (i.e., fire, gas leak or other incident rendering the structure unsafe) we would evacuate all students and staff from the facility. Designated safe areas have been pre-established with primary and secondary site locations.

In the event of an emergency we want to let you know how to access information. Please review this information, and if your child is at school, follow these guidelines:

Our first priority is assuring the safety and security of your children. Please do not call the school. Incoming calls may tie up emergency phone lines. Please do not come to school. This could inhibit our efforts to respond to the situation. The Instant Alert communication system will be initiated at the earliest possible opportunity to inform you of the emergency.

If the emergency is of an area-wide nature, tune into local radio (WGN 720 AM, WBBM 780 AM) and television stations (CBS, ABC, NBC, WGN, FOX and CLTV News). The media, district website, and notification system will be activated for communication.

Thank you for your cooperation as we take precautionary actions on behalf of our school community. Ultimately, the best preparation is a well-informed community and coordinated response.