Parent/Caregiver Roles

In the event of a school emergency, District 36 staff are working 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 on our district website. We know that during an emergency, some 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.

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 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 36. District 36 will notify you of that reunification site, if needed.

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.

The police department will be dealing with the school emergency and the dispatch line must remain open for any other emergencies that could occur in the community. Calling to ask what is going on at the school will only take away from the dispatcher being available to handle other emergencies while also interrupting communication with the police on-site at the school where the emergency is taking place. Only call if you have information to share that will help police respond to the emergency.

Please ensure the cell phone and email address registered with the district is up to date. To make changes to your contact information, please reach out to the Main Office staff at your child's school.

Based on the severity of the crisis, there may be instances where District 36 needs to activate a reunification process to ensure students are individually reunited with their families. This process takes time as we are diligent about ensuring every child is released to the appropriate adult, and we thank you in advance for your patience. When a reunification is activated parents will receive notification of the location via BlackBoard. Once an authorized adult arrives at the reunification site, students will be given a form to complete while they wait in line. During the check-in process, school staff will check identification and send another staff member to retrieve your child from the student site. Please remember to bring your ID. If a parent/guardian cannot pick up their child, the child can also be released to any individual listed as an emergency contact on your child’s record. Our school staff will remain with all students until they can be reunited with their families.