The safety of District 57 students and staff is our top priority. You send your children to us every day with the expectation that we not only teach them but keep them safe. This is a trust we take seriously.

District 57 has a crisis plan that is routinely reviewed with the Mount Prospect Police Department. In 2024, District 57 adopted the I Love U Guys Foundation Crisis Response Program. Changes are made to our plans as necessary to comply with current best practices and emergency protocols. School principals also review the plan annually for any site-specific updates. Below is a description of each response to any given situation.

Based on the severity of the crisis, there may be instances where District 57 needs to activate a reunification process to ensure students are individually reunited with their families. This process takes time as we are diligent about ensuring every child is released to the appropriate adult, and we thank you in advance for your patience. Reunification site locations are listed below. Once the authorized adult arrives at the reunification site, they will be given a form to complete while they wait in line. During the check-in process, school staff will check identification and send another staff member to retrieve your child from the student site. Please remember to bring your ID. If a parent/guardian cannot pick up their child, the child can also be released to any individual listed as an emergency contact on your child’s record. Our school staff will remain with all students until they can be reunited with their families.

District 57 schools have a number of school psychologists and social workers who are always available to speak with students who need guidance and support. In addition, District 57 has a crisis response team of mental health providers who will respond when additional support is needed at a school.

We know the importance of keeping families informed during an emergency. However, please understand our first priority is ensuring the students and staff our safe and notifying emergency personnel. District 57 will use its notification system, ParentSquare, to call, email and text families. 

All District 57 exterior doors are closed and locked during the school day. Visitors must enter through Door #1. School staff can speak to and view the visitor to determine their reason for entering before admitting them to the school. Once granted access to the building, visitors must report to the school office through the secured vestibule to sign in and get a visitor’s badge. All visitors should bring an ID with them. So that our staff can monitor each individual visitor, we ask that visitors not hold the door for others.

All 4 schools have secure entrances, which force visitors to enter the office before being admitted to the school.

We have panic buttons in all of our schools which send an immediate alert to Emergency Services.

In the event of a school emergency, District 57 staff are working with local police and fire departments to ensure your child’s safety first. We are committed to providing ongoing updates as information becomes available to us. Stay alert for texts, emails, and phone calls, as well as updated information posted on our district website. We know that during an emergency, some of our students will try to call or text their parents/guardians. If this occurs, we ask that you stay calm and reassuring. Encourage your student to follow the directions of school staff. 

We understand your desire to go to the school, especially in a situation that feels scary. However, arriving at the scene before it is secure can interfere with the emergency response and put you in danger. Past school emergencies have shown that one of the greatest challenges is how to manage the number of parents and concerned citizens rushing to the scene. By rushing to the school, parents can unintentionally create traffic jams that may block emergency responders from getting to the school or leaving if necessary to transport injured students or staff to emergency medical facilities. Families should not come to pick up their child unless given the direction to do so from District 57. District 57 will notify you of that reunification site, if needed.

We ask that families do not call the school. This allows phone lines to stay open for communication with emergency personnel and school officials. It also helps school staff to remain focused on the safety of their students. The school/district will communicate any information with you as soon as possible. 

The police department will be dealing with the school emergency and the dispatch line must remain open for any other emergencies that could occur in the community. Calling to ask what is going on at the school will only take away from the dispatcher being available to handle other emergencies while also interrupting communication with the police on-site at the school where the emergency is taking place. Only call if you have information to share that will help police respond to the emergency.

Please ensure the cell phone and email address registered with the district is up to date. To make changes to your contact information, please reach out to the Main Office staff at your child's school.

In the event of a school evacuation, District 57 will follow a standard reunification plan to ensure students are safely returned to their families. During a reunification, parent/guardians or emergency contacts listed as an authorized person to pick up your child should do the following: