Dear Parents:

Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the schools have made preparations to respond effectively to such situations.  Should we have a major disaster during school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at this school. Our School District has a detailed emergency operations plan which has been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe.

Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency.

1. Do not telephone the school. Telephone lines may be needed for emergency communication. An Alert Notification with information will be sent via SchoolMessenger and posted online at http://www.bpd3.org​ as soon as possible following an emergency event. Text YES to 68453 to receive alerts via text.

2. In the event of a serious emergency, students will be kept at their schools or evacuation site until they are picked up by an identified, responsible adult who has been identified as such on the school emergency card which is required to be filled out by parents at the beginning of every school year.  Adults picking up students will be required to show ID and sign a release form.  The decision to keep students at school will be based upon obtaining the safest environment possible.  Parent reunification site information, in the event of an emergency where student need to be picked up from school or have been evacuated, will be sent to the registered guardians via SchoolMessenger.  Please be sure you consider the following criteria when you authorize another person to pick up your child:

• He/she ​is 18 years of age or older and has an ID.

• He/she ​is usually home during the day.

• He/she ​could walk to school, if necessary.​

• He/she ​is known to your child.

• He/she ​is both aware and able to assume this responsibility.

3. Beach Park is a member of the Emergency Closing Center www.EmergencyClosings.com​ which supplies our facilities closing information to key Chicagoland media outlets. In the event of the loss of electrical service stay tuned to the radio at WGN 720 AM or WBBM 780 AM, or on TV with CBS, NBC, ABC, WGN, Fox or CLTV. If electrical service is not affected, information will also be relayed via the internet at www.bpd3.org​ . In addition, information regarding day­to­day school operations will be available by calling the District Office at 847-­599-­5005.

4. Impress upon your children the need for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency.  Parents should be patient and understanding with the student release process as our precautions are in place to protect your children.

6. In the event that a natural disaster takes place during the time that students are being transported, students will be kept on the bus and the driver will ask for assistance through radio contact with the school and district personnel. Any child who is home waiting for the bus will not be picked up (if roads are impassable) and remains the responsibility of the parent or guardian. In the event a natural disaster occurs in the afternoon, the driver will make every attempt to continue delivering the students to their homes. Should road conditions prevent the driver from delivering students to their home or to school in the morning, the students will be delivered to the nearest school site and that school will communicate with the home school to inform them of the students’ whereabouts.

7. When the dangerous incident has subsided, a notification will be sent. Please discuss these matters with your immediate family. Planning ahead will help alleviate concern during emergencies.

This information is always accessible on our Parents Link page of the District Website.

Sincerely,

The Beach Park School District Emergency Operations Team