Ridgewood High School – Safety & Security Webpage
The safety of our students, staff, and visitors is the top priority for District 234.
🛡 ENSURING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
At District 234, we are committed to providing a safe, caring, and nurturing environment for everyone on our campus. We believe that a safe school is essential for students to thrive academically and personally. Our district is committed to creating a welcoming and safe environment where learning can happen without the fear of intimidation, violence, or harm.
🤝 OUR COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO SAFETY
Safety at District 234 is a community effort. We partner closely with our local emergency responders, community partners, parents, students, staff, and administrators to maintain and improve safety. This collaborative approach helps us create a secure environment for everyone.
🧭 OUR SAFETY STRATEGY
District 234 has developed a comprehensive strategy to ensure both school safety and emergency preparedness. Our approach addresses the four key phases of emergency and disaster management:
- Prevention: Implementing measures to avoid, deter, or stop potential incidents before they occur.
- Preparation: Taking steps to protect students, staff, visitors, and property from potential natural or man-made threats, and minimizing the likelihood or impact of an incident.
- Response: Activating necessary measures to stabilize a situation, save lives, and establish a safe and secure environment for everyone.
- Recovery: Supporting the restoration of a positive learning environment following any incident.
👨👩👧 RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
How does District 234 prepare for school emergencies?
The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority. We take a proactive approach to emergency preparedness by regularly practicing safety drills, conducting assessments, and staying current with best practices through conferences and professional learning. Our team meets regularly to review and refine safety measures and systems, ensuring we continually grow and adapt.
We are proud to have a dedicated School Resource Officer, leverage advanced technology, and maintain secure and closely monitored facilities. Together, these efforts help us stay ahead of the curve so we can provide a safe, supportive environment for learning.
How can Parents/Guardians prepare for school emergencies?
Keep your child’s information up to date:
Keep your child’s information up to date: In the event of a school emergency, communication from the District to parents/guardians will be sent via ParentQuare by email, text messaging, phone calls, and app notifications. The district may also post information on the website and on social media. Alerts will be sent to the phone numbers and emails listed in Skyward and ParentSquare, so it is important for families to keep their contact information up-to-date.
Follow Visitor Rules: Exterior school doors are locked during school hours. Visitors must ring the doorbell and then go to the window in the vestibule of the school. Visitors are asked to verify their name and purpose of visit. Visitors must present a current driver’s license. Once approved, visitors will enter the building and wear the visitor identification lanyard around their neck while in the building. Visitors will sit on the adjacent green bench while waiting for their host. Visitors must abide by all rules and policies when on the premises.
Talk to your child: Discuss the importance of school safety drills in preparing for an unlikely emergency. Stress the importance of remaining calm and listening to the adults in charge during a drill or actual emergency. Encourage your child to be vigilant and report information if they see or hear something suspicious. Please stress that it is never okay to make a threat against anyone or the school.
How does District 234 respond to emergencies?
Staff and students are trained to follow the following emergency response actions:
📢 HOW DOES DISTRICT 234 COMMUNICATE EMERGENCY INFORMATION?
District 234’s top priority in a school emergency is the safety of all people in the building. The District works closely with police and fire departments, and it typically takes time to gather and confirm accurate information. District 234 will communicate crisis information to families as quickly as possible.
For more significant crises or emergencies requiring the parent/guardian's immediate response (i.e., early dismissal), District 234 will communicate with families and staff by notification sent through ParentSquare via email, text, phone call, and app notification. All parents/guardians will receive alerts, regardless of whether they have activated their ParentSquare account. It is important for parents/guardians to provide current contact information in ParentSquare or Skyward Family Access so that we can reach you with urgent alerts. Depending on the situation, the district will also share information via the district website and social media (Facebook and X (Twitter)).
District 234 aims to provide families and staff with as much detail and transparency as possible in our crisis communications. Please note, however, that by law, school districts cannot release confidential information or information that could compromise an investigation. If you receive an emergency message from your school or the district that does not provide details, it is likely because additional information cannot be shared. We realize that our families and staff will be on high alert when situations arise, and we will share as much information as possible in any given situation.
There may be instances when emergency responders visit your child's school that do not require communication. For example, police and fire departments often visit schools to teach lessons on school safety. If you see emergency responders at school, please do not jump to conclusions or speculate.
District 234 or your child's school will contact you if there is a safety issue. If you have questions about something that you have observed, please get in touch with your school to obtain the facts.
Please be patient: in true emergencies, it may take time to verify and coordinate information with emergency responders.
What should parents/guardians do during an emergency in a school?
Stay Calm and Stay Alert: In a school emergency, please remain calm and know that school staff, district personnel, and law enforcement are working to keep your child safe. District 234 understands the importance of communication during an emergency, and we are prepared to provide ongoing updates. The District may provide information via emails, phone calls, district social media, and the district website based on the circumstances. Please know that the media may not always communicate accurate information. In addition, we know that many students will try to call or text their parents/guardians during an emergency. If this occurs, we ask you to remain calm and reassuring. Encourage your student to follow the directions of school staff.
Do Not Go to the School: We understand that your first instinct will be to go to the school to see your child, especially in a difficult situation. If there is a crisis, the school may be locked down, and you will not have immediate access to your child. Arriving at school before it is secure can interfere with the emergency response and put you in danger. In addition, rushing to school may create chaos and traffic that may block emergency responders from getting to the school or leaving if necessary to transport injured persons to emergency medical facilities.
Families should only come to pick up their child(ren) if they are directed to do so by District 234.
Keep Phone Lines Open: We ask that families not call the district in case of an emergency. This allows phone lines to remain open for communication with emergency personnel and school officials. It also helps school staff remain focused on the safety of everyone in the building. The district will communicate any information with you as soon as possible via ParentSquare by sending emails, phone calls, texting and app notifications. Please be patient and wait for communication about the next steps.
Do Not Call the Police Department or 911: The police department will handle the school emergency, and the dispatch line must remain open for any other emergency in the community.
Be Prepared with your Photo ID: District 234 will follow a standard reunification plan in a school evacuation to ensure students are safely returned to their families. The district will communicate with parents/guardians/emergency contacts regarding the reunification site and provide instructions. Families and individuals listed as an authorized person to pick up your child should do the following:
- Bring a valid form of identification
- Follow signage and parking directions to the reunification location
- Complete the provided reunification form
- Provide school personnel at the check-in table with a valid form of photo ID and the completed reunification form
- Wait patiently as the District 234 staff retrieves and escorts your student to you
🆔 VISITOR PROCEDURES AND BUILDING SECURITY
The District works hard to evaluate current safety practices and enhance protocols on an annual basis. School security involves multiple layers and requires the cooperation of school staff, parents, and students.
District 234 welcomes parents, families, and community members into our schools. Our building has limited and secured entry points for visitors. Those visiting must identify themselves verbally and visually, and state the purpose of their visit, before being allowed to enter the building. Visitors must check-in at Door 2 during school hours and provide government-issued identification and undergo a background check via our Raptor System. Once approved, visitors must wear a visitor badge at all times and abide by Board Policy 8:30 Visitors to and Conduct on School Property. When outside organizations use D234 facilities, they must abide by Board Policy 8:20 Community Use of School Facilities.
Other security measures include emergency devices and surveillance cameras to monitor suspicious activity inside and outside of school buildings. Radio devices are used by our administrators and staff who are part of the building crisis teams so that they can communicate with one another via radio during an emergency.
The district has worked with local emergency responders and independent safety experts to conduct building inspections and make recommendations for safety improvements when necessary.
🔥 SAFETY DRILLS & PRACTICE
District 234 abides by the Illinois School Safety Drill ACt (105 ILCS 128/) which requires schools to conduct a variety of safety drills annually to prepare students and staff in the case of an emergency. School safety drills are conducted during the school day when students and staff are present.
- Evacuation/Fire Drills (3 drills annually, at least one involving the local fire department present to observe and provide direction and feedback)
- Shelter in place/Severe Weather Drill
- Lockdown/Active Shooter Drill (Run-Hide-Fight) (At least one involving the police department present to observe and provide direction and feedback)
- Bus Evacuation Drill
💚 PREVENTATIVE MEASURES AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS
District 234 takes a proactive approach to our students' and staff's social-emotional well-being and mental health needs. We have various programs and resources to create and maintain a healthy and safe teaching and learning environment.
MTSS: At Ridgewood, we use a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to promote safety, well-being, and success for every student. MTSS provides a structured framework of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports, starting with strong Tier 1 practices for all students, and adding targeted interventions as needed.
Social-Emotional Wellness and Mental Health:
- RAP Program
- Ensuring every student has a trusted adult
- Elyssa’s Mission Partnership
- Staff visibility in the halls (Positive Loitering)
- Focus on making students feel valued, seen, and heard
- Tier 1 supports
Relationship Building: District 234 Staff focus on forming relationships with our students so that we are prepared to provide support if they need it, and so they feel comfortable reporting to us when they hear or see unsafe or concerning behaviors in themselves or others. We ask our families to reinforce this message at home by letting them know they can also come to you whenever they feel unsafe and remind them to report any suspicions and concerns about school safety.
Additional Resources:
School Safety is a Shared Responsibility - District 234 also encourages students, parents, and staff to SEE Something, SAY Something! REPORT BULLYING & SAFETY CONCERNS Safety Concern / Bullying Report
Safe2HelpIL is a statewide program that offers students a safe, confidential way to share concerns about themselves or others. Students can use Safe2HelpIL to report issues such as bullying, threats, depression, or safety risks at any time, day or night.
📞 Call: 844-4-SAFEIL (723345)
💬 Text: SAFE2 (72332)
📧 Email: HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com
🌐 Website: https://www.safe2helpil.com