School Safety and Security

Commitment to Safety

Providing a safe and secure educational environment is a top priority of Community Consolidated School District 146. All district facilities meet federal, state and local regulations. School District 146 takes pride in the collaborative relationship that has developed with the emergency service responders of the communities we serve and has taken many steps to ensure the safety and security of our children while they are in our care.

Some of those measures include:

School Access

School access is controlled. Doors are locked during the school day with a buzzer system at the front entrance of each of our schools. Video cameras are located at key points throughout each building, Safety Clerks electronically monitor all movement within each school and a 911 locator system allows emergency personnel to know exactly where in school a 911 call came from. Visitors and volunteers are required to sign in at the school office and obtain a visitor/volunteer pass.

Background Checks

Volunteers for school activities must undergo a criminal background check. In addition to the criminal background check, all employees of the district must undergo a fingerprint check conducted by local law enforcement before being hired, and names are checked against the National Sex Offender Registry.

Drills and Inspections

Students are drilled at the beginning of the school year in proper emergency procedures in case of fire, building lock down, bus evacuation and tornadoes. In many cases those drills are observed by the local Police and Fire Departments who provide feedback.

Crisis Response Plans

The District has developed and continually revisits its Crisis Response Plans. Detailed plans have been designed to respond to various crisis situations. The goal is to provide for the safety of all students and staff and maintain a leadership structure that provides timely and accurate communication to our parents and communities.

Emergency Terminology

Here are the most frequent terms we use to categorize and communicate emergencies within the buildings.

Lockout
A lockout is declared when there is a potential external threat to the buildings, students, or staff. In this case, we deny any entry into the school, but normal activities within the school continue as planned. A lockout may be declared if there was a local robbery close to one of our buildings, or the like. 

Hold-in-Place/Soft Lockdown
Terminology may vary by building depending on local first-responder and building Incident Response Team preferences.
These terms refer to situations that require students and staff to remain in their classrooms, but normal in-class activities continue. Soft lockdowns may be called if an ambulance is called to the school for an adult or student. To allow easy passage, students and staff must remain in their classrooms.

Lockdown/Hard Lockdown
Terminology may vary by building depending on local first-responder and building Incident Response Team preferences.
A lockdown/hard lockdown is declared during a situation that potentially threatens the safety of students or staff. During a lockdown, everyone must remain in place and be prepared to engage in an emergency plan. Police are called for assistance during a lockdown.

Storm Warning System

A storm warning system to help protect parents and others is in place at each school. When a school is under emergency procedures, such as those when a tornado warning is in effect, a strobe light outside the front of the school will be activated. The system is to notify waiting parents that no one can leave the building at that time and also that they can seek shelter inside if they would like.

School Cancellations

In cases of school cancellations because of weather conditions or other emergencies, announcements will be made on radio and television stations. In addition, parents are individually notified with a phone call at home through the School Messenger System. Parents can also check for emergency closing information online at emergencyclosingcenter.com

Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Devices

All of our buildings are equipped with these life-saving devices which are used to restore normal heart rhythm to people in cardiac arrest. They are maintained annually to keep them in good working order and all staff are formally trained in their use. 

Community Consolidated School District 146 recognizes it's responsibilities each day for our most vital resource, the children of our communities. The Board, administrators and staff take pride in keeping safety among it's priorities 

We encourage parents, students and staff to watch these informative videos on CPR and hands-only CPR
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