Commitment to School Safety

District 15 is strongly committed to school safety. The areas listed below are a sampling of the varied measures undertaken to promote a safe and orderly learning environment at each school in District 15.

Comprehensive Planning

• The implementation of a Standardized School Crisis Plan, created in conjunction with representatives from police and fire departments, that is designed to enable school personnel to respond appropriately to a variety of emergency and/or crisis situations that may occur on or near a school.
• The formation of a District 15 Safety Committee that is composed of parents, teachers, administrators, and representatives from police and fire departments from Hoffman Estates, Palatine, and Rolling Meadows that meets quarterly to review and improve on district-wide safety policies and practices.

Effective Coordination

• Conducting the following drills at each school on an annual basis as required by Illinois School Code:
• Three evacuation drills. One of the three evacuation drills must be supervised by the appropriate fire department.
• One bus evacuation drill.
• One law enforcement drill. Each school in D15 completes two law enforcement drills annually. One of these two law enforcement drills must be a staff initiated lock-down.
• One severe weather/shelter-in-place drill.
• Two law enforcement (lockdown) drills. One of these two law enforcement drills must be a staff-initiated lockdown. The schools also conduct an annual drill review meeting with principals and representatives from police and fire departments to continuously improve each school’s readiness to respond to an emergency and/or crisis situation.
• The schools also conduct an annual drill review meeting with principals and representatives from police and fire departments to continuously improve each school’s readiness to respond to an emergency and/or crisis situation.

Expanded Outreach

• Implementation of an online bullying and safety reporting center that allows students, parents, staff, and community members to report concerns either by name or anonymously.
• Implementation of a system known as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) at each school in the District that is designed to teach, model, and reinforce desired student behaviors. PBIS also provides supports to students who are struggling behaviorally. 

Enhanced Communications and Technology

• Utilizing the District’s mass communication tools, allowing communications to be sent rapidly to parents via phone, text, and/or e-mail.
• Utilizing Raptor, a visitor management system, to screen visitors at each school against national sex offender databases.
• Installation and regular testing of silent alarms at each school.
• Installation of video cameras at the main entrance at each school.

Caring, Safe, and Orderly Learning Environment

Community Consolidated School District 15 is committed to maintaining safe and orderly schools and offices. Board of Education Policy 8:11 Caring, Safe, and Orderly Learning Environment supports the district's Civic Beliefs by promoting mutual respect, civility, and orderly conduct among students, employees, parents, and other community members.

Any individual entering District 15 property or attending school district-sponsored activities including extracurricular activities, board meetings, or athletic events shall treat others with dignity and respect. This policy is not intended to deprive any person of their right to freedom of expression but rather to maintain, to the extent possible and reasonable, a safe, harassment-free educational atmosphere for the school community with minimal disruption. The district encourages positive communication and discourages volatile, hostile, or aggressive behaviors. The district expects public cooperation with this endeavor.

If an administrator determines that a person poses a “clear and present danger” to themself or to others, the administrator must notify the Department of State Police within 24 hours of the determination.

Keeping Our Students Safe

The safety of all children attending District 15 schools is a top priority. Please review the school’s general rules and safety precautions with your child, putting particular emphasis on bus rules, bicycle rules and wearing a helmet, obeying the safety patrol, and returning home immediately after school unless other arrangements have been made. If you transport your child to school by car, please use the areas designated by the school for dropping off and picking up your child.

District 15 schools do not permit such items as knives, bean shooters, hard baseballs, etc., to be brought to school. If items that are deemed potentially hazardous to the student or others are brought to school, these articles will be confiscated. 

School Threats Taken Seriously

If students write or talk about injuring or killing another student, staff member, or any other person or about using weapons through any media, these statements will be taken as serious threats. All reports of such threats or statements will be fully investigated. If the information is substantiated, the student(s) involved will be disciplined as appropriate under district and/or building policies and local municipal ordinances. It is important for students to think about what they say, especially when angry or upset. Teachers, social workers, school psychologists, administrators, and services are available to assist students with behavioral or anger management issues.

Bullying/Safety Tip Line

District 15’s Bullying/Safety Tip Line provides parents and students with an additional option to report bullying and/or other safety concerns within their schools. Similar to making a report in person or over the phone, when making an online report, please include as much detailed information as possible because doing so will greatly assist administrators in investigating and addressing the concern(s). 

Although it is usually best to speak directly with an administrator when making a report about bullying and/or other safety concerns at your school, sometimes students and parents are not comfortable doing so. Toward that end, this tool also allows for anonymous reporting.

Please keep in mind that online reports received outside of school hours will not be reviewed and acted upon until school is back in session. With that said, if your concern(s) require(s) immediate attention, please contact local law enforcement.

To submit a concern via the Bullying/Safety Tip Line, visit www.ccsd15.net/TipLine.

Junior High School Resource Officers

The Village of Palatine and the City of Rolling Meadows have intergovernmental agreements with the school district to provide a part-time school resource officer assigned to each junior high school. The school resource officer’ purpose at school is to assist school officials in maintaining a safe, orderly, and caring educational environment for all students. The officers provide a variety of services to students, parents, and staff and serve as positive role models for all students. They meet with individual students, small groups of students, and entire classes to discuss various aspects of the law and procedures of the court system. They are available to discuss specific situations with parents and staff. The officers are also available to elementary school parents, staff, and students. 

Sex Offender Registration Act

State law requires schools to notify parent/guardians during school registration or parent-teacher conferences that information about sex offenders and violent offenders against youth is available to the public on the Ill. Dept. of State Police (ISP) website. the ISP website contains the following: 

• Illinois Sex Offender Registry, www.isp.state.il.us/sor/
• Illinois Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registry, www.isp.state.il.us/cmvo/
• Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Sex Offenders, www.isp.state.il.us/sor/faq.cfm

Erin's Law

Public Act 096-1524, known as Erin’s Law, amends the school code to address the prevention of child sexual abuse. In partnership with parents and families, the District is committed to raising awareness and providing resources to further community prevention efforts. Parents are encouraged to review the warning signs of possible child abuse as listed below:

• Unexplained injuries and changes in behavior
• Returning to earlier behavior (regressing to behaviors more appropriate for younger children)
• Fear of going to certain previously welcome locations (neighbors, relatives, friends, etc.)
• Changes in eating habits and/or sleeping patterns
• Changes in school performance and/or attendance
• Risk-taking behavior
• Inappropriate sexual behavior
• Mood swings
• Lack of personal care or hygiene 

Visit the District 15 website "Erin's Law" for additional resources for parents. In addition to the schools, local and national resources committed to child safety, abuse prevention, and intervention include:

• Northwest CASA (Center Against Sexual Assault)—24-Hour Hotline 888-802-8890
• The Bridge Youth and Family Services—Crisis Line 847-359-7490
• AMITA Health Center for Mental Health—Crisis Prevention 847-952-7460
• National Child Sexual Abuse Help Line—866-FOR-LIGHT (866-367-5444)
• www.preventchildabuse.org
• www.childluresprevention.com

Suicide and Depression Awareness

The District addresses suicide and depression awareness in conjunction with Board of Education Policy 7:290 Suicide and Depression Awareness and Prevention, in order to provide students, parents/guardians and employees with practices and procedures for early identification and referral of students possibly at risk of suicide or depression.