School Safety
In the School City of East Chicago, our top priority is assuring the safety of our students and staff. We want both our students and employees to feel physically and psychologically safe and cared for in our schools. As a school district, we promise to do everything reasonably possible to protect your children against any threat that may arise while they are in our care. We want to inform you of the things that we are doing to honor our commitment to ensure that our schools and children in them remain safe. Our safety/security focuses on three things: Effective planning, physical security and coordination with local emergency responders for potential emergency situations. This includes training our staff and students and conducting drills to practice our plans, and strengthening our security technology and infrastructure.
We have a District Safety Committee with representatives from each school (elementary. middle and high), key district staff members and representatives from local emergency management. We have developed goals and set priorities, reviewed our plans and are coordinating our resources in response to any emergency. School-based student support teams and safety teams support this process at their level. Trained School Safety Specialists are assigned full time to every elementary, middle and high school.
Working Together
The school district works closely with our local law enforcement agencies, county and city Fire and Emergency Services, Lake County Juvenile Court, county Emergency Management Agency and the East Chicago Health Department in order to be prepared to mitigate and respond to any crisis. School psychologists, social workers, and counselors have trained in crisis intervention and are available to students and their families in all emergencies.
Don't Text and Drive PSA
Texting and Driving: It's Not Worth It!
Imagine driving the whole length of a football field with your eyes closed. Would you ever do that on the road? With friends and family in the car? This is what happens every time you read or send a text. The average text only takes a tiny 5 seconds to send but at 55 mph, that 5 seconds is over 300 yards of driving while looking at your electronic device.
We have heard time and time again that you shouldn't text and drive, yet it has become so common that it is now the leading cause of death among teen drivers. With more than 3,000 teen deaths and over 400,000 injuries each year related to cell phone use, the issue isn't going to go away. That is unless you make the change!
Security Team
Security Measures
Security measures include requiring parents and other visitors coming into schools to check in at the main office of schools, check in through the SafeVisitor Solutions Visitor Management System and receive temporary identification badges before proceeding. Visitors are also required to wear face coverings throughout our schools and on our school buses. All adults who work with our students during and after school require background checks. Staff members are required to wear photo identification badges.