Safety and Security

District 225 regularly collaborates with local police and fire departments on drills, training and information sharing. The Villages of Glenview and Northbrook provide safety and health information on their websites, including social services, firearm safety and Be Smart For Kids gun storage.

The District 225 Emergency Operations Planning Committee is comprised of district and school personnel who are responsible for developing clear and consistent emergency protocols. Staff who are part of the Emergency Operations Plan Committee participate in training and coursework.

District 225 has developed systems to share accurate, timely information with students, staff and families in case of an emergency. The mass notification system can send messages through email, texts, and voice in a matter of minutes. In addition, emergency communication is posted on the district and school web pages and shared on social media platforms.

Families can assist the district by ensuring that contact information is up to date in Power School.

Our district follows a comprehensive, state-mandated Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) developed by our staff in partnership with local law enforcement and fire departments. This plan includes a thorough threat and hazard identification and risk assessment process to help identify and prepare for potential incidents that could impact our school community. Reviewed and updated annually, the EOP ensures our emergency response procedures remain current, effective, and focused on keeping students and staff safe.

The safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and the district has established four key emergency protocols to respond to various situations.

Evacuation

Evacuation is used when there is an unsafe condition or a threat to life safety in a building or area. All occupants are directed to exit the building calmly and in an orderly fashion, using stairs instead of elevators, and proceed to designated safe areas. Staff are encouraged to use their senses to assess their surroundings, bring the Go Bag if available, and only re-enter the building when given clearance by the incident commander or administration.

• Exit the building in an orderly manner
• Do not use the elevator during evacuation
• Proceed to designated areas
• Staff and students must remain together until an administrator gives instructions
• Re-enter the building with approval of the incident commander/administration

Relocation

Relocation is activated during emergencies like severe weather or a tornado. Students and staff move to interior first-floor spaces, away from windows. If outside, they are brought inside immediately. In imminent danger, individuals kneel and cover their heads with their arms, remaining together until further instructions are given.

In preparation for reunification, schools will account for students and staff who are present before sharing specific detailed information about the process and timing of reunification. Family members picking up students should be prepared to show identification and be patient with the process that may take several hours.

Suspended schedule

These procedures are used when there are unsafe conditions inside or outside the building that do not require evacuation. Everyone outside is brought inside, hallways are cleared, and classroom or office doors are locked with blinds closed. Staff and students remain in place, ignoring bells, and continue normal activities until directed otherwise by administration.

• Hallways are cleared
• Classroom doors are closed and locked
• Staff and students continue with regular activity
• Bell schedules are to be ignored
• Staff and students may leave the classroom or building when directed by an administrator

Lockdown (with options - run, hide, fight)

A lockdown is implemented during an active human threat, such as an intruder. Depending on the situation, individuals may choose to Run to safety, helping others if possible and keeping their hands visible when passing law enforcement. If evacuation isn't safe, they may Hide by locking and barricading doors, silencing rooms and moving to a secure location. As a last resort, they may need to Fight by distracting and disarming the threat, only if necessary, and without touching any weapons. All actions are taken with the goal of protecting life until emergency responders arrive.

Our district maintains a strong and proactive partnership with local law enforcement to support the safety of our schools. The Senior Manager of Safety & Security serves as the primary liaison, ensuring ongoing communication and coordination. This close collaboration allows for immediate notification and swift implementation of response protocols during emergencies. Regular information sharing also helps the district stay ahead of emerging threats or hazards, reinforcing our commitment to providing a safe learning environment for all students and staff.

District 225 adheres to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) principles that provide a systemic, proactive approach to guiding government agencies to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from incidents regardless of the size, cause, location or complexity

To support safety and coordinated emergency response, the district has deployed nearly 400 radios capable of communicating across all schools and facilities. These radios allow staff to maintain real-time communication during daily operations and emergencies. In partnership with local law enforcement, radio systems have also been installed at each dispatch center to ensure seamless, direct communication between school personnel and first responders during a crisis, enhancing our ability to respond quickly and effectively.

Each year, District 225 schools hold a minimum of 6 drills that allow students and staff members to practice the protocols developed in case of fire, severe weather, an emergency near the school or a threat to the building. Information about the drills can be found in the student handbook under section 5.40 on page 50.  

In the fall, students and staff members participate in a “Safety Day.” A comprehensive training day has been developed to meet the needs of students and staff members who expressed the need for additional preparedness after our district experienced several emergencies during the 2022-2023 school year.

The purpose of the entire day is to provide additional training for students and staff members about how to best respond in an emergency. The special modified schedule allows students to attend all of their blue/green day and gold day classes, participate in the traditional safety drills during Block 1 and engage in conversations in each class that prepare them if an emergency were to occur at that site.

Our district partners with local law enforcement to provide a School Resource Officer (SRO) on campus as part of our commitment to student safety and well-being. SROs are specially trained through organizations like the Illinois School Resource Officers Association (ILSRO) and the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) to work effectively with youth in school settings. Their presence helps prevent incidents, builds positive relationships with students, and ensures a rapid response in emergencies—response times are significantly faster when an SRO is on site, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. This partnership creates a safer, more supportive environment for all students.

To ensure a safe and secure environment for all students and staff, our district has a dedicated security team of around 39 professionals working throughout the school day. Access to school buildings is strictly controlled, with entry limited to those who are permitted and verified. All exterior doors are equipped with electronic locking systems that can be secured instantly in the event of an emergency. 

Additionally, every adult in the building is required to wear a district-issued lanyard that is updated yearly, ensuring all occupants have been properly vetted and authorized.

Safer Schools Together (SST), an organization committed to enhancing community safety, created the Behavioral and Digital Threat Assessment™ (BDTA) management model. This approach aims to empower Safety/Threat Assessment teams in the early identification and assessment of individuals on the pathway to violence.
 
BDTA is a blended multidisciplinary model, that integrates  SST's Digital Threat Assessment® (DTA) training with best practices from the National Threat Assessment Center's (NTAC) Behavioral Threat Assessment model, rooted in over two decades of comprehensive research.

The BDTA model equips Threat Assessment teams with a three-step response plan, ensuring proactive and effective measures in response to worrisome, concerning, and threat-related behaviors. Implementation of BDTA can significantly reduce the potential for violence within our communities.

 The BDTA process involves the evaluation of a Subject(s) of Concern (SOC) through an initial screener, enabling Threat Assessment teams to proactively identify whether a SOC exhibits an intent to harm themselves or others.  The threat assessment process is conducted by student services personnel and involves input from numerous staff, including the school resource office

Our district has deployed over 350 security cameras across five school facilities to help maintain a safe and secure learning environment. Access to the camera system is limited to designated administrative staff responsible for school safety, ensuring privacy is respected. In the event of a crisis, the system plays a vital role in supporting emergency response and is accessible to law enforcement partners only when necessary to protect students and staff.

To enhance school safety, every building in our district uses the Raptor Visitor Management System to screen and monitor all visitors. This system checks visitor information against the nationwide sex offender registry and records both entry and exit times. It also allows for the input of special alerts, including court orders, to immediately notify safety staff and administrators if a restricted individual attempts to sign in. This ensures that only approved visitors are allowed access, helping us maintain a secure environment for all students and staff.