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Waukegan board debates look‑alike firearm language for student handbook
Summary
At its May 27 meeting the Waukegan CUSD 60 board discussed proposed revisions to the student handbook to clarify how look‑alike firearms and other prohibited items would be handled, and directed staff to take the board’s feedback to the district’s Parent Teacher Advisory Committee before a first‑reading of handbook changes.
Waukegan CUSD 60 board members spent a large portion of their May 27 meeting debating proposed clarifications to the district’s student handbook on weapons, including how to treat look‑alike firearms and other prohibited items.
The administration presented a tiered approach that staff said would distinguish mere possession from use or attempts to inflict harm and make clear when a mandatory expulsion referral is required. "Generally, we consider anything that's a look alike weapon, but anything that can be mistaken as a firearm, a look alike firearm," said a district safety official, summarizing the working definition the administration used.
Board members sought clearer language on several points. Several trustees urged separating look‑alike firearms from other sharp implements (razor blades, box cutters), and asked the handbook to account for emotional harm when an item causes fear or disruption even if no physical injury occurs. One trustee said the board should be able to see certain incidents so members can confirm procedures were followed and supports were offered; another warned against giving students or families the impression that some toys are acceptable to bring to school.
District staff said the proposed revision is intended to create consistency across buildings in how incidents are categorized and handled; one safety staff member said groupings historically used in schools (for example, items passed among students versus items brought deliberately) account for different responses. Board members and staff repeatedly referenced the Illinois School Code language that includes look‑alike firearms in weapons definitions and discussed past legal decisions as background for the debate.
Instead of voting on language, the board directed staff to bring the board’s feedback to the Parent Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC) for further discussion and asked administration to return with a draft for first reading as part of the handbook review. The district announced a PTAC meeting on June 3 at 4 p.m. at Lincoln Center for further community input; the district also offered a contact (studentoutreach@wps60.org) for those seeking the virtual link.
What happened next: No handbook amendment was adopted at the meeting. Staff will revise the proposed handbook language to reflect board comments and PTAC input and present a first reading at a later meeting.
