Dear District 58 Families and Staff,
The school shooting in Nashville was another horrible reminder to all of us about the importance of school safety for our students and staff. Like you, I am heartbroken and having a great deal of trouble understanding why this keeps taking place across our country. First and foremost, I am a parent of school-age children and my wife is also a teacher. I understand how important this is and ensuring the safety of everyone in our schools is the number one priority. We will continue to do everything we can to support the safety and well-being of our students and staff.
This year, the District has taken several steps forward in conjunction with local law enforcement and DuPage County officials. The administration has implemented multiple initiatives beyond the secured entrances that were approved by voters in the November referendum. We are taking an "all-of-the-above approach" when it comes to enhanced safety measures. This includes but is not limited to improvements to our facilities, screening of all visitors via the Raptor System, enhanced crisis training (i.e. A.L.I.C.E), fully implementing the Safe2Help crisis prevention line, and teaching students about being safe at school. Additionally, the District is continuing to train staff and instruct students on our social-emotional curriculum which emphasizes mental health and well-being.
The District has two teams (the DG 58 Threat Assessment Team and the DG 58 Emergency Management Committee) that work closely with local law enforcement. In addition to our planning teams, all schools complete mandatory safety drills every school year in collaboration with local law enforcement and first responders.
While there is not a universal solution that will keep everyone safe, the District continually looks at best practices and new industry standards regarding safety. We have been sharing this information and new initiatives with the Board of Education at our meetings and in our community updates. Attached here is a portion of the presentation from our Nov. 21, 2022 meeting when I shared how we work closely with law enforcement as well as some of the new initiatives.
Additionally, we have also asked safety experts/law enforcement officials from the DuPage County Regional Office of Education to audit our schools both during the day and at night. This audit is designed to provide the District with feedback on what is working well and areas for improvement/growth in terms of safety. These officials visited the schools over the past several weeks and will continue to do so over the next two months. The District's Threat Assessment Team, Emergency Management Committee, Administration, and Board will work closely with the county to implement recommended measures that will increase our security.
The District also allows and encourages the Downers Grove Police Department and other first responders to train in our buildings so they are familiar with our schools and are prepared to act if we experience a tragic event. While I sincerely hope that this will never be the case, we want to be as prepared as possible.
I have worked in several communities during my career and I can share that I have never worked with a police department as closely as I have with the Downers Grove Police. Chief DeVries and his team are second to none and are deeply involved in our drills and planning. The police are very familiar with all of our buildings and have immediate access to our schools. Additionally, the police participate in all of our safety planning and we always take their advice and recommendations.
I recognize that topics such as these are not easy ones to discuss. However, I wanted to take this opportunity after the Nashville tragedy to share with our staff and families all that we are doing to keep everyone safe. We will continue to stress to our students, families, and community members that if you hear something, say something. As I shared earlier, this is our top priority and we all need to work together. Thank you for your support and partnership.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kevin Russell
Superintendent of Schools