Members of the District 233 school board tried to calm the fears of worried parents who were alarmed by news that a gun was found at Homewood-Flossmoor High School on Friday, Jan. 16.
The issue of safety on the H-F campus “is our highest priority,” said member Nate Legardy. The incident “was another reminder of how vulnerable we all are in this everchanging landscape. None of us are immune from what’s going on in this world. We feel it’s a safe community, but we’re not immune.”
The school was on lockdown for about two hours in the afternoon after a staff member spotted the gun and bullets in the hallway. In that time, Flossmoor police and school security staff went through video to identify the student who allegedly dropped the gun, and determined that the immediate threat to H-F had passed.
School policy sets out that the alleged perpetrator can be expelled for bringing a gun on campus, according to PR Director Carla Erdey.
“We were lucky. We dodged this one,” member Chris Reidel said during the Jan. 20 board meeting. Reidel reminded parents that the district’s “number one priority is safety.” Reidel stressed that without a feeling of safety, students can’t learn.
“I know you can’t change everything quickly, but a plan needs to be in place,” one mom said when she addressed the board. “Anybody can walk up on this campus.”
Board members have for years been investigating ways to keep the H-F campus safe. Because students are outside walking the path between North and South Buildings, the doors are open. Security staff monitor the main entryways. Students have ID, but there is not a requirement that ID be shown every time they enter a building.
In December, the board hired a firm to give a full security assessment with suggestions for improvements. That report is expected in March, but Superintendent Jennifer Norrell told the audience that first steps have already been taken.
The district now has a metal detector security wand that will alert security staff to illegal materials in backpacks. They will conduct random student searches at any time.
Norrell’s heard the suggestions for installing metal detectors. She said on Jan. 19 H-F had purchased equipment that’s “the latest technology, very new, very cutting-edge that works far better than metal detectors.”
She will continue to communicate with parents on any safety updates.
