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School Safety

Safe2Help

The State of Illinois has developed a school safety program called Safe2Help Illinois in an effort to raise awareness of 21st-century threats facing schoolchildren in Illinois. To read more about Safe 2 Help, click here. 

Contact Safe2Help

  • 844-4-SAFEIL (844-4-723345)
  • Text SAFE2 (72332)
  • Email HELP@HelpIL.com

Suicide Prevention Resources

AnnMarie's Law, enacted in 2015, was created to provide suicide awareness and prevention to Illinois school students and school staff. As noted by the Illinois State Board of Education, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.

District 401's practices and procedures regarding suicide prevention are governed by Board Policy 7:290, "Suicide and Depression Awareness and Prevention."

In addition, the following resources are available.

Crisis Textline

  • 24-Hour Crisis Line is accessible via text.
  • Link to the website is available here.
  • Text "home" to 741741 to gain access to a crisis worker.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

  • The Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
  • English: 1-800-273-8255
  • Spanish: 1-888-628-9454
  • www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Safety Drills & Training

District 401 is committed to providing a safe learning environment. The Illinois State Board of Education requires students and staff to undergo several safety drills and training.    

  • One bus evacuation 
  • Three fire drills
  • One shelter in place - tornado drill
  • One hard lockdown drill/active shooter drill
  • One soft lockdown drill
  • Mandatory health and safety training for all staff
  • Cook County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit sweeps
    • Not required by the ISBE but in place at EPHS and Elm

Safety Measures and Precautions

  • Three School Resource Officers
    • Two full-time officers from the River Grove Police Department at Elmwood Park High School 
    • One full-time officer from the Elmwood Park Police Department travels between John Mills, Elmwood and Elm
  • Director for safety and security 
    • Provides mandatory safety training for all staff and students
    • Completes comprehensive safety audits in partnership with local police departments
  • Secure Visitor Entry 
    • Visitors must scan their ID through our secure system 
    • Secured vestibule entry at all District 401 schools 
  • District and Building Committees 
    • Threat Assessment team 
    • Safety committee 
    • Crisis team meetings