• Safety and Security Plan

    District 28 is committed to a safety and security process that includes assessment, action plans, and evaluation. 

    Development Process

    The process we use to develop, monitor, and improve our safety and security plan includes:

    • Comprehensive Safety Audit 
      • A comprehensive safety audit was conducted in the 2019-2020 school year by an outside partner agency.  The results provided a multi-year, multi-tier report to the School Board. This report guides our continuous improvement.  
    • Health/Life Safety Inspection 
      • Conducted annually by the Cook County Intermediate Service Center
    • Annual State Fire Marshal Inspection 
    • Northbrook Police Department School Liaisons 
      • Our police department liaisons meet regularly with principals.
    • Review of Best Practice Research and Policy Briefs
      • Everytown School Safety Research Briefs (2022)
      • Illinois Terrorism Task Force School Safety Working Group Recommendations (2020)
      • Safe and Sound Schools Straight ‘A’ Safety Improvement Toolkits (2016)
      • Sandy Hook Commission Report (2015) 

    Safety is addressed in three broad categories: behavioral and mental health, facility security, and emergency response protocols. 

    Behavioral and Mental Health

    • School psychologists and social workers provide behavioral and mental health services to students at every school and the Young Explorers program.
    • Teachers review student needs via BASC-3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-3 BESS). The screener offers a reliable, quick, and systematic way to determine behavioral and emotional strengths and weaknesses of children and adolescents. Specifically, it helps to identify students who exhibit the following risks:
      • Behavioral and Emotional Risk Index (BERI)
      • Externalizing Risk Index (ERI)
      • Internalizing Risk Index (IRI)
      • Adaptive Skills Risk Index (ARI)
    • Elementary students engage in learning around the following elements through Second Step.
      • Growth Mindset & Goal-Setting / Skills for Learning
      • Emotion Management
      • Empathy & Kindness
      • Problem-Solving
    • Similarly, junior high students engage in weekly LEAD (Learn Educate Appreciate Develop) lessons centered on goal-setting, problem-solving, empathy, advocacy, mindfulness, digital citizenship, and emotional regulation, among several other topics.
    • The district partners with community organizations and presenters to provide timely information and support for parents.
    • Established this year by state law, the district is implementing behavior threat assessment procedures. A threat assessment team of administrators, school-based mental health professionals, local law enforcement partners, teachers and a school counselor is being trained to address potential threats and develop response plans on a case-by-case basis.
    • The district has two systems in place to support NBJH students anonymously:
      • Anonymous Alerts is a system that students (and parents) can use to report suspicious activity.
      • Text-A-Tip is a 24/7 messaging service to respond to students in a crisis. All students can access the systems through a student dashboard on their iPads or through their phones.

    Facility Security

    Access to every school is controlled. Hardened entrances have electronic doors, exterior and entry cameras, a visitor check-in system that includes a background check, badges for all personnel, and key control.

    Building Security

    • Electronic emergency devices throughout the school (panic buttons) are linked to local police dispatch  
    • Intrusion alarms, including:
      • exterior door contacts 
      • upgraded motion sensors 
      • 24/7 monitoring  
    • Strategic installation of protective shatter-proof film on glass 
    • Enhanced natural surveillance
    • Door & classroom signage 
    • Enhanced exterior lighting
    • Visible outdoor supervisors during recess with two-way radios that students can easily identify

    Classroom Security

    • Primary and secondary door-locking mechanisms 
    • Automatic door closures in multipurpose rooms and gymnasiums
    • Grab-and-go emergency plans and maps 
    • Safety backpacks containing:
      • first aid
      • emergency lighting 
      • emergency food supplies 

    Emergency Response Protocols

    • Annual staff training
    • Options-based intruder response practices adopted township-wide 
    • Emergency communication system for staff and parents
    • Emergency Preparedness Plans (EPP) developed in collaboration with Northfield Township districts and Northbrook emergency responders
    • Annual drills conducted in partnership with local police and emergency responders. These include:
      • evacuation with rally points
      • inclement weather 
      • lockdown
      • reunification
    • Law enforcement and emergency responders have access to facilities, are familiar with our floor plans, and can gain access in an emergency.  

    PLEASE SEE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SCHOOL CLOSINGS, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION AND REPORTING A CONCERN ON RELATED PAGES ACCESSED FROM THE PAGE MENU ON THE LEFT.