School Safety

Notification: If school needs to be closed for emergency reasons, you will be notified through the District's mass notification system via emergency emails, text messages, and/or phone calls. School closings are also posted on the District's website, bsd2.org. You can expect notification no later than 6:00 a.m. if your contact information is up to date with the school.

eLearning Days: In cases of severe weather that lead to school closure, the District will often schedule an e-Learning day. This means remote instruction will take place, and the day will count as a regular school day, so no make-up days will be needed at the end of the school year. Students in grades K-8 take their Chromebooks home daily to be prepared for this. Attendance will be taken, and the school day hours will remain the same, with students joining classes virtually through links provided by their teachers. These links will be posted on the District website and sent to parents/guardians via email and text message.

Severe Weather at Dismissal: If there is severe weather at or near dismissal, students will be kept until the danger has passed, and parents/guardians will be notified via emergency emails, text messages, and/or phone calls sent through the District’s mass notification system with information regarding updates and the school procedures to follow. 

Bensenville School District 2 employs the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) for emergency preparedness. Our SRP is reviewed annually in collaboration with local police and fire departments to ensure alignment with current best practices and emergency response standards. Additionally, school principals conduct yearly reviews to make any school-specific adjustments needed for their individual sites.

Hold: Protocol used when hallways need to be kept clear of occupants. Can be used for a medical emergency or student/staff need within the building. 

Secure: Protocol used to safeguard people within the building in the event of an outside threat. 

ALICE - Locks, Lights, Out of Sight: Protocol used to secure individual rooms or provide options for evacuation in the event of a threat within the school building. 

Evacuate: Protocol to move people from one location to a different location in or out of the building. This protocol is most commonly used during a fire event. Additionally, depending on the situation, the Secure or Evacuate protocol would be implemented if a bomb threat were reported. In these situations, staff would take direction from the Bensenville Police Department to determine next steps. 

Shelter: Protocol used for group and self protection and most commonly used for tornado/natural disaster events.

 

Severe Weather at Dismissal If there is severe weather at or near dismissal, students will be kept until the danger has passed, and parents/guardians will be notified via emergency emails, text messages, and/or phone calls sent through the District’s mass notification system with information regarding updates and the school procedures to follow. 

https://www.bsd2.org/details/~board/student-handbook/post/severe-weather-at-dismissal

 

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Plan is reviewed with all District 2 staff before students return in August. Under the Illinois School Safety Drill Act, each school must complete the following drills annually:

Three school evacuation drills, commonly referred to as fire drills—one of which must include participation from the local fire department. During one of the drills, staff and students practice using an alternate exit by blocking a primary exit. This exercise helps everyone become familiar with secondary evacuation routes in a real emergency.

One severe weather/shelter-in-place drill, typically a tornado drill

One bus evacuation drill

One law enforcement (lockdown) drill, observed by local law enforcement to address active threat scenarios Our staff are trained to communicate with students at their level of understanding using the “I LOVE YOU GUYS” approach—that is, the Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Widely adopted by school districts throughout Illinois and beyond, SRP provides a clear, consistent vocabulary for crisis response using five core actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

Hold – “Hold in your room or area. Clear the halls.” Students stay in place; teachers secure the room and continue learning.

Secure – “Get inside. Lock outside doors.” Everyone enters the building; doors are secured while instruction continues.

ALICE – “Locks, lights, out of sight, ALICE” Students and staff move away from sight, maintain silence, lock doors—and wait for first-responder direction.

Evacuate – “Evacuate to [location].” Follow directions to exit the building safely.

Shelter – “Shelter for [hazard] using [safety strategy].” Used for environmental hazards (e.g. tornado, hazmat, earthquake) with specific protective actions. By using consistent, easily understood language during drills, we reduce confusion and strengthen the effectiveness of our response. When local police and fire departments participate in and support these exercises, they further enhance readiness and reinforce coordination.

 

If you need to report child abuse or neglect, bullying, suicide, or any crisis, please use the resources below:

Safe2Help Illinois: Bensenville School District 2 participates in Safe2Help Illinois, a statewide school safety program. Its goal is to encourage students to "Seek Help Before Harm" by offering a safe, confidential way to share information on school safety issues, including preventing suicide, bullying, and school violence.

How to make a report to Safe2Help Illinois:

• Website: www.Safe2Helpil.com
• Text: SAFE2 (72332)
• Phone: 844-4-SAFEIL (844-472-3345)
• App: Download from Apple App Store and Google Play Store
• Email: HELP@Safe2HelpIL.com

This Safe2Help information is printed on all student and staff ID cards.

All reports are confidential and distributed to appropriate school and law enforcement officials, emergency medical services, and/or state human services agencies.

Additional Crisis Resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 988, https://988lifeline.org/
• Crisis Text Line: Text REACH to 741741
• DuPage County Health Department Crisis Line: Call 630-627-1700
• 211DuPage: Visit 211dupage.gov for a free, confidential information and referral service to health and human services available 24/7.

Parents, guardians and students can reach out to school support staff at any time with any concerns. 

District 2 employees a full-time school resource officer whose primary role is to maintain the safety and security of our schools.

DuPage County -Secure Firearms Storage Letter

 

Starting July 1, 2023, a new law took effect for all Illinois schools. Faith's Law is named after a prevention advocate and child sexual abuse survivor from Illinois who pushed for change to state laws related to educator sexual misconduct in K-12 schools.

Sexual misconduct is defined as:

Any act, including, but not limited to, any verbal, nonverbal, written, or electronic communication or physical activity, by an employee or agent of the school district, charter school or nonpublic school with direct contact with a student that is directed toward or with a student to establish a romantic or sexual relationship with the student. Such an act includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:

1. A sexual or romantic invitation.
2. Dating or soliciting a date.
3. Engaging in sexualized or romantic dialog.
4. Making sexually suggestive comments that are directed toward or with a student.
5. Self-disclosure or physical exposure of a sexual, romantic, or erotic nature.
6. A sexual, indecent, romantic, or erotic contact with a student

Faith’s Law Resource Guide

ISBE has developed and maintains the Faith’s Law Resource Guide that includes guidance for pupils, parents/guardians, and teachers about sexual abuse responses and prevention resources available in their community, including the contact information of entities that provide services for victims of child sexual abuse and their families.

BSD2’s Employee Code of Professional Conduct Policy

BSD2 has developed and implemented an employee code of professional conduct policy, <INSERT POLICY> in compliance with Faith’s Law.

For more information about Faith’s Law, please visit ISBE’s Faith’s Law webpage.

Ann Marie’s Law. Illinois Public Act 99-443 mandates that Illinois public schools provide training to certified staff on suicide prevention. It also mandates that public school children, in 7th through 12th grades, be educated on how to identify the warning signs of suicidal behavior in adolescents and teens, along with appropriate intervention and referral techniques, including methods of prevention and procedures for early identification. BSD2 has adopted the Signs of Suicide (SOS) program, which is funded, distributed,and implemented through Elyssa’s Mission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention. The ​SOS program includes a presentation to students designed to increase awareness of suicide and related issues as well as a brief screening for depression and other risk factors associated with suicidal behavior. ​ Sixth through eighth grade students in BSD2 will participate in the presentation and screening. Prior to implementation, parents will receive a letter indicating when the program will be taught.

This law mandates that all Illinois public schools provide age-appropriate suicide and depression awareness and prevention education programs for students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade.

In grades K-5, students will have the opportunity to engage in discussions surrounding the topic of sadness through the use of picture books. These discussions will include keywords, such as upset, sad, depressed, communicate, self-awareness, and trusted adult.  This curriculum is intended to assist our students in being able to communicate with trusted adults about their feelings. 

Below is the list of books being used at each grade level 

• Kindergarten: Princess Stella Gets Sad by Molly Martin
• First Grade: Sad by Kerry Dinmont
• Second Grade: The Princess and the Fog by Lloyd Jones
• Third Grade: The Boy Who Didn’t Want to be Sad by Rob Goldblatt
• Fourth Grade: A Kind of Blue Day by Rachel Tomlinson
• Fifth Grade: Not Today, Celeste! by Liza Stevens

Grades K-5:

Content covers important bicycle and pedestrian safety information for youth. Topics will include helmet use, use of other safety equipment, clothing, finding a safe place to ride and traffic safety laws pertaining to bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Middle School:

Traffic safety instruction includes bicycle and pedestrian safety, alcohol awareness and the importance of wearing safety belts. Designed to encourage and reinforce the importance of making responsible choices and the consequences of those choices.

District 2 complies with Illinois law by meeting the Drug and Substance Abuse requirements. This mandates that all Illinois public schools provide age-appropriate drug and substance abuse instruction in Kindergarten through 8th Grade.

In K-5 grades, students will have the opportunity to engage in discussions surrounding the topic of drug and substance abuse during their SEL special. These discussions will include a variety of resources and activities. This curriculum is intended to assist our students in being safe, making good choices, and knowing how to reach out to safe adults.

Below is an outline of the curriculum used at each grade level

Kindergarten and First Grades:

Keywords to include: healthy, safe, medicine. Students will participate in a discussion on maintaining a healthy body through a balanced diet and regular exercise. Students will discuss how only a trusted adult or a doctor should administer medicine to them.

Second and Third Grades:

Keywords to include: healthy, safe, drug, alcohol, awareness, and prevention. Students will participate in a discussion on how to keep their bodies healthy through diet and exercise. Students will participate in a discussion on how drugs affect our bodies.

Fourth and Fifth Grades:

Keywords to include: drug, alcohol, awareness, prevention, and peer pressure. Students will participate in a discussion on how drugs affect our bodies. Students will participate in activities on how to refuse peer pressure.

Sixth through 8th Grades:

Students learn about the short and long-term risks associated with substance use, including alcohol, marijuana, and vaping, as well as the safe use of prescription medications and the potentially lethal dangers of taking a pill that did not come from a licensed pharmacy. The influencers and normalization of substance use is explored, including social media, song lyrics, and advertising.

District 2 complies with the mandate to teach bus safety to students in K-8 grades.

In grades K-2, students will participate in activities that involve acting out safe behaviors while riding the bus. These activities include:

• Waiting for the bus on the sidewalk or driveway
• Not entering a roadway
• Remaining seated and quiet while on the bus
• The importance of following the bus driver's directions

In grades 3-5, students will learn the different rules for staying safe while riding the bus. They will participate in discussions about the rules and why they are important to follow.

Grades 6-8: Students will learn traffic safety behaviors, student responsibilities for safe transportation on buses, procedures on what to do in an emergency, and positive behavioral expectations for riding the school bus.

Bullying, intimidation, and harassment diminish a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate. Preventing students from engaging in these disruptive behaviors is an important District goal. Bullying is contrary to state law and to District Policy 7:180.

Bullying on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender-related identity or expression, ancestry, age, religion, physical or mental disability, order of protection status, status of being homeless, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy, association with a person or group with one or more of the aforementioned actual or perceived characteristics, or any other distinguishing characteristic is prohibited in each of the following situations:

1. During any school-sponsored education program or activity.
2. While in school, on school property, on school buses or other school vehicles, at designated school bus stops waiting for the school bus, or at school-sponsored or school-sanctioned events or activities.
3. Through the transmission of information from a school computer, a school computer network, or other similar electronic school equipment.

For purposes of this policy, the term bullying includes cyber-bullying, and means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including written and electronic communications, directed toward a student that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

1. Placing the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student's person or property.
2. Causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student's physical or mental health.
3. Substantially interfering with the student's academic performance.
4. Substantially interfering with the student's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

Bullying, intimidation, and/or harassment may take various forms, including without limitation one or more of the following: threats, stalking, physical violence, sexual harassment, sexual violence, theft, public humiliation, destruction of property, or retaliation for asserting or alleging an act of bullying. This list is meant to be illustrative and non-exhaustive. For purposes of this handbook, the term bullying includes harassment, hazing, intimidation, retaliation, and school violence.

Not every confrontation between or among students will be considered bullying for purposes of this policy. Incidents will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Students are encouraged to immediately report bullying. A report may be made orally or in writing to the District Complaint Manager or any staff member with whom the student is comfortable speaking (i.e.: teacher, social worker, assistant principal, or principal). Anyone who has information about actual or threatened bullying is encouraged to report it to the District Complaint Manager or any staff member. The District will not discipline a student because he or she made a complaint or report, supplied information, or otherwise participated in an investigation or proceeding, provided the individual did not make a knowingly false accusation or provide knowingly false information.

Students in grades K-5 will participate in lessons that teach about bullying. Bullying is mean or hurtful behavior that keeps happening over and over. Students learn to recognize, report, and refuse bullying. Students are also taught the importance of being a powerful bystander and standing up against bullying that they realize is happening to others by recognizing, reporting, and refusing.

Grades 6-8: Lessons, taught during Advisory, are geared understanding the four types of bullying: physical, relational, verbal, and cyberbullying. Learners will be introduced to warning signs of the different types of bullying. Learners are given access to in-depth resources on bullying and creating an anti-bullying policy

Cyber-bullying is the use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior intended to harm others. Cyber-bullying can be as simple as continuing to send email to someone who has said they want no further contact with the sender, but it may also include threats, sexual remarks, and pejorative labels (i.e., hate speech).

Each year, students will participate in a program designed to teach students personal body safety through Second Step’s Child Protection Unit. There are 6 sessions taught during your child’s SEL special class. These sessions are in compliance with Erin’s Law.  

Topics include:

K-3 grades

• Ways to Stay Safe
• The Always Ask First Rule
• Safe and Unsafe Touches
• The Touching Rule
• Practicing Staying Safe
• Reviewing Safety Skills

4-5 Grades

• Keeping Yourself Safe
• Safe and Unwanted Touches
• The Private Body Parts Rule
• Practicing the Ways to Stay Safe
• Reviewing Safety Skills

6-8 Grades

BSD2 partners with the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago to provide our students with Erin’s Law Education. Students engage in lessons surrounding sexual abuse, sexual harrassment, trusted adults, grooming, safe and unsafe secrets, consent, and boundaires.

Erin's Law

Public Act 096-1524, known as Erin’s Law, amends the school code to address the prevention of child sexual abuse. In partnership with parents and families, the District is committed to raising awareness and providing resources to further community prevention efforts.

Each school year, BSD2 implements a child sexual abuse and grooming behavior prevention program that helps prepare students and staff to identify and respond to warning signs of suspected child sexual abuse, how to identify grooming behaviors that may be related to possible sexual abuse, and how to report child sexual abuse. The prevention program is developmentally appropriate, is implemented by teachers and school mental health professionals in each classroom, and is consistent with the Erin’s law requirement in Illinois. Information about this prevention program can be found below. Each year, parents/guardians are notified of the prevention program’s implementation. Parents/guardians may contact their school principal should they wish to remove their student from participating in this program.

Erin’s Law - Resources for Parents - Personal Safety Education

Illinois public schools are required by law to provide all students, from Grades Pre-K through 12, with age-appropriate personal safety awareness and prevention education.

What is Erin’s Law?

The Comprehensive Health Education Act, often referred to as Erin’s Law, was signed into law in January 2013. The law expanded existing requirements that schools provide instruction in age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault prevention to include grades pre-kindergarten through 5.

Erin’s Law is named for Erin Merryn, an abuse survivor, who is now a national advocate for sexual abuse. The website for Erin’s Law can be found at: http://erinslaw.org/

BSD2's Official Communication Channels

Effective August 15, 2025, Bensenville School District 2 discontinued using Facebook for official communications. This decision was made because recent changes to Facebook’s policies no longer provide the level of privacy and security our community requires.

From this date forward, all official district information will be shared through our most secure and reliable channels:

• Website: www.bsd2.org and individual school webpages
• Bi‑monthly e‑newsletters delivered via email

Meanwhile, updates, photo galleries, event reminders, and engaging content continue to be published on our social media platforms:

• Instagram: @bensenvilleschooldistrict2
• X/Twitter: @BensenvilleD2 and @KMcCluskey4

If you need help accessing any of these platforms or signing up, contact our Community Relations Coordinator, Tania Gomez, at 630‑766‑5940 ext. 1122 or via email at tgomez@bsd2.org.

Click here for the formal press release.

All interior and exterior doors are locked during school hours. Visitors are required to ring the intercom at Door 1 to state the purpose of their visit. Upon entrance, visitors will be asked for identification before being provided access to their school or child. 

We have panic buttons and pull-station panic alarms in all of our schools that send an immediate alert to 911 when activated in case of emergency. Staff has been trained on how and when to utilize panic buttons in emergency situations. 

Our schools are equipped with security cameras throughout our facilities and on our buses to support continuous monitoring and ensure a safe environment for all students and staff. 

The use or possession of vape devices is prohibited on school property. Our facilities are equipped with vape detection sensors in designated areas to help maintain a safe, healthy, and smoke-free environment for all students and staff.  

In case of an emergency, the reunification location will be determined based on the situation and communicated to parents/guardians when appropriate. Parents/guardians will be notified via emergency emails, text messages, and/or phone calls sent through the District’s mass notification system with information regarding updates and the school procedures to follow. 

STAY ALERT

In the event of a school emergency, District 2 staff work 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 to our district website. We know that during an emergency, many 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. 

STAY AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL

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 and your child 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 2. In many situations, your child may be bused to another location away from the scene to be reunited with family. District 2 will notify you of that reunification site and provide you further directions on how to unify with your child safety and promptly.

KEEP PHONE LINES OPEN

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. 

DO NOT CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR 911

Due to the nature of the emergency, the school personnel will have already notified emergency responders. Only call if you have information to share that will help police respond to the emergency. 

KEEP YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATED

Please ensure your cell phone and email address are up to date by checking the information in your parent portal account. Please always feel free to contact your child’s school to check that we have the right information.  Accurate information allows us to promptly share important news with you. 

BE PREPARED WITH YOUR PHOTO ID

In the event of a school evacuation, District 2 will follow a standard reunification plan to ensure students are safely reunited 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:

• Bring valid form of identification (ID).
• Follow signage and parking directions of the reunification location
• Complete the provided reunification form.
• Provide school personnel at the check-in table with a valid form of photo ID and the completed reunification form.

Wait patiently as a District 2 staff member escorts your student to you.