School Safety
School Safety
At District 3, student safety is our highest priority. We are committed to providing a secure and supportive environment where students can focus on what matters most: learning, growing, and connecting.
We takes a comprehensive approach to school safety that emphasizes both physical security and social-emotional well-being. We know students who feel safe physically and emotionally are better able to thrive.
Our approach includes:
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Campus Safety Supervisors at each school work closely with administrators, staff, and local first responders.
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The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP) — Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, Shelter — to ensure everyone knows how to respond in an emergency.
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Regular drills and training with students, staff, and community partners to maintain preparedness and consistency.
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Modern security technology, including access control systems, video surveillance, and alert tools that enhance awareness and response across all schools.
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Student services teams that include counselors, social workers, psychologists, and deans who provide mental health support, intervention, and conflict resolution.
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Family engagement opportunities, which offers sessions on healthy relationships, bullying prevention, suicide awareness, nutrition, and study skills.
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District-wide programs and partnerships that promote a culture of care, respect, and inclusion, ensuring every student feels safe, connected, and valued.
At District 3, we take a layered approach to school safety, combining trained personnel, controlled access, advanced technology, and strong partnerships with local law enforcement to keep our campuses secure every day.
Controlled Access
All District 3 buildings feature limited, secured entry points for visitors. During school hours, visitors must check in at the main entrance, present government-issued identification, and complete a Raptor security screening against the national offender database. Visitor IDs are held until checkout to ensure accountability and secure exit procedures.
Safety Technology & Procedures
- Comprehensive video surveillance systems are in place across all campuses.
- Keyless staff access reduces the circulation of physical keys and enhances building control.
- Visible ID badges are required for all staff, substitutes, and visitors.
- Regular safety drills and building security audits, conducted in collaboration with first responders, ensure preparedness that exceeds state requirements.
Notifications
If school is closed, we try to make a decision by 5:00 a.m. The district will notify you by phone and email, using our mass notification system. Please make sure your contact information is accurate and updated in Skyward to ensure that you will receive a call and email. School closing information will also be posted on the district and school websites, and the district’s social media accounts.
Decision to stay open or close
When making a decision to stay open or to close, D3 administrators monitor warnings and watches from the National Weather Service; the timing of expected weather conditions; and the blowing and drifting, and/or rate of snowfall. On an extremely cold day, we evaluate actual air temperature, wind chill, and the timing and duration of the low temperatures.
It is important for you to know that we also communicate directly with our feeder districts, our surrounding school districts, our director of transportation, and our own grounds staff who are deployed to assess the roads beginning at 2 a.m. District 3 operations staff ensure the school parking lots and sidewalks are cleared and salted during and after each weather event. We also make sure heat systems are functioning properly at each school.
Emergency Days
D3 builds five emergency days into the school calendar. As a parent or guardian, you ultimately make the decision to keep your child home during inclement weather. If you choose not to send your child to school, please call the attendance line to have your child’s absence recorded as excused.
Fox River Grove District 3 follows the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), a crisis response protocol developed by the "I Love U Guys" Foundation. The "I Love U Guys" SRP is used by over 50,000 schools, agencies, and organizations around the world.
The SRP incorporates many of the concepts we already use but offers more clarity and consistency in terminology among schools and first responders across the county, state, and country. It is based upon five actions: HOLD, SECURE, LOCKDOWN, EVACUATE, AND SHELTER. Each has specific staff and student directives that are unique to the action.
Hold
Action: “Hold in your room or area. Clear the halls.”
Use: When hallways need to be kept clear due to an incident inside the building (e.g., medical emergency).
What to do: Students remain in their current room; staff secure the room and continue normal operations.
Secure
Action: “Secure the perimeter. Get inside. Lock outside doors.”
Use: When there is a threat or hazard outside the school building (e.g., police activity nearby).
What to do: Everyone returns inside. Exterior doors are locked, but instruction continues as usual inside the building.
Lockdown
Action: “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.”
Use: When there is a threat inside the school (e.g., intruder or active threat).
What to do: Students move away from sight and remain silent. Staff lock doors, turn off lights, and instruct silence until cleared.
Evacuate
Action: “Evacuate to a location.”
Use: Used when students and staff need to move to a different location (e.g., fire, gas leak).
What to do: Follow instructions to safely exit the building and go to the designated location.
Shelter
Action: “Shelter for [hazard] using [safety strategy].”
Use: Used for environmental hazards such as tornadoes or hazardous materials.
What to do: Follow specific safety instructions for the given situation (e.g., drop, cover, and hold for a tornado).
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At District 3, we take a layered approach to school safety, combining trained personnel, controlled access, advanced technology, and strong partnerships with local law enforcement to keep our campuses secure every day.
Controlled Access
All District 3 buildings feature limited, secured entry points for visitors. During school hours, visitors must check in at the main entrance, present government-issued identification, and complete a Raptor security screening against the national offender database. Visitor IDs are held until checkout to ensure accountability and secure exit procedures.
Safety Technology & Procedures
- Comprehensive video surveillance systems are in place across all campuses.
- Keyless staff access reduces the circulation of physical keys and enhances building control.
- Visible ID badges are required for all staff, substitutes, and visitors.
- Regular safety drills and building security audits, conducted in collaboration with first responders, ensure preparedness that exceeds state requirements.
-
Notifications
If school is closed, we try to make a decision by 5:00 a.m. The district will notify you by phone and email, using our mass notification system. Please make sure your contact information is accurate and updated in Skyward to ensure that you will receive a call and email. School closing information will also be posted on the district and school websites, and the district’s social media accounts.
Decision to stay open or close
When making a decision to stay open or to close, D3 administrators monitor warnings and watches from the National Weather Service; the timing of expected weather conditions; and the blowing and drifting, and/or rate of snowfall. On an extremely cold day, we evaluate actual air temperature, wind chill, and the timing and duration of the low temperatures.
It is important for you to know that we also communicate directly with our feeder districts, our surrounding school districts, our director of transportation, and our own grounds staff who are deployed to assess the roads beginning at 2 a.m. District 3 operations staff ensure the school parking lots and sidewalks are cleared and salted during and after each weather event. We also make sure heat systems are functioning properly at each school.
Emergency Days
D3 builds five emergency days into the school calendar. As a parent or guardian, you ultimately make the decision to keep your child home during inclement weather. If you choose not to send your child to school, please call the attendance line to have your child’s absence recorded as excused.
-
Fox River Grove District 3 follows the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), a crisis response protocol developed by the "I Love U Guys" Foundation. The "I Love U Guys" SRP is used by over 50,000 schools, agencies, and organizations around the world.
The SRP incorporates many of the concepts we already use but offers more clarity and consistency in terminology among schools and first responders across the county, state, and country. It is based upon five actions: HOLD, SECURE, LOCKDOWN, EVACUATE, AND SHELTER. Each has specific staff and student directives that are unique to the action.
Hold
Action: “Hold in your room or area. Clear the halls.”
Use: When hallways need to be kept clear due to an incident inside the building (e.g., medical emergency).
What to do: Students remain in their current room; staff secure the room and continue normal operations.
Secure
Action: “Secure the perimeter. Get inside. Lock outside doors.”
Use: When there is a threat or hazard outside the school building (e.g., police activity nearby).
What to do: Everyone returns inside. Exterior doors are locked, but instruction continues as usual inside the building.
Lockdown
Action: “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.”
Use: When there is a threat inside the school (e.g., intruder or active threat).
What to do: Students move away from sight and remain silent. Staff lock doors, turn off lights, and instruct silence until cleared.
Evacuate
Action: “Evacuate to a location.”
Use: Used when students and staff need to move to a different location (e.g., fire, gas leak).
What to do: Follow instructions to safely exit the building and go to the designated location.
Shelter
Action: “Shelter for [hazard] using [safety strategy].”
Use: Used for environmental hazards such as tornadoes or hazardous materials.
What to do: Follow specific safety instructions for the given situation (e.g., drop, cover, and hold for a tornado).
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FAQs & Emergency Alerts
District 3 uses ParentSquare for school communication and emergency alerts via email, text, and app notifications. Notifications will be sent to your contact information in Power School.
ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number from Skyward. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.
Emergency Alerts
During emergencies, we work closely with local law enforcement and emergency responders to gather and confirm accurate information to communicate as soon as possible. We understand you are looking for specific details in our communications; by law, we can not release student information or disciplinary action.
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On the app, enter your email or cell phone number. It should match what is in the school's information system or database.
On the web, click Sign In, then under Register, put your email or phone number and click Go.
If the email or phone number is not recognized by ParentSquare, parents can follow directions to request access or call the school office and ask them to update the contact information.
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ParentSquare allows users to customize their notifications based on notification type and select their preferred delivery method for each school. The Instant setting will send all post notifications in real-time. The Digest setting sends direct messages, alerts, and time-sensitive posts instantly, but sends all non-time sensitive posts at the end of the day, reducing the number of notifications you receive daily. (We recommend the Digest setting.) Learn more about managing notifications.
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Parents can update their language preference for their account. Once they have done this, ParentSquare will automatically translate any communication to them in their selected language. This translation will also occur when the parent sends a message to a staff member. Learn more about ParentSquare translations and how to set the language preference.
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- Activate Your Account
Click the link in your activation email/text, or sign up on the ParentSquare website or via the ParentSquare app.
- Download App
It’s easy to stay in the loop with the ParentSquare app. Download it now. iOS | Android
- Set Preferences
Click your name in the top right to set your notification and language preferences.
- Get Photos & Files
Click Photos & Files in the sidebar to access pictures, forms, and documents that have been shared with you.
- Appreciate Posts
Click Appreciate in your email/app or website to thank a teacher or staff member for a post.
- Comment or Reply
Click Comment in the app or on the website to privately ask a question about the post that your teacher or school sent.
- Participate
Click Sign Ups & RSVPs in the sidebar to see available opportunities. Click the bell on top to check your commitments.
- Join a Group
Click Groups in the sidebar to join a group or committee at your school to participate or to stay up-to-date.
- Find People
Click Directory in the sidebar to find contact information for school staff.
- Get in Touch
Click Messages in the sidebar to privately get in touch with staff and teachers.
- Activate Your Account
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Yes. All parents have a ParentSquare account. ParentSquare is the primary tool for district and school communication. Individuals who do not activate their account in ParentSquare will still receive an email digest at the end of each day that communication is sent out to them. In the event of emergencies, phone calls will be sent as well.
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Click the Unsubscribe link on your email from ParentSquare, or reply STOP to the SMS from ParentSquare to stop notifications to your email or phone.
**** If the email or phone number is not recognized by ParentSquare, parents can call the school office attendance/registar’s clerk and ask them to update the contact information.
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