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District 21 rolls out security upgrades: Knox boxes, Carehawk displays, visitor kiosks and reunification planning
Summary
District Director of Safety and Security Danny Malek detailed a series of completed and planned safety upgrades across Wheeling CCSD 21, including Knox boxes at every building, standard-response training and flip charts, Carehawk visual displays, SRO engagement, visitor kiosk pilots and a district reunification task force.
Danny Malek, the district’s Director of Safety and Security, told the Wheeling CCSD 21 Board of Education on Thursday that the district has completed several physical and procedural safety upgrades and is planning additional measures ahead of summer construction and the next school year.
Malek said the district installed two police-access “Knox” boxes on every building over the summer of 2024, added standardized emergency flip charts in every classroom, refreshed standard response protocol (SRP) training and produced a training video for staff. He described a multi-layer approach that pairs physical access (Knox boxes, exterior door numbering and window decals) with communications upgrades such as the Carehawk displays and CrisisGo integration.
“We always want to reinforce our top priority is ensuring a safe, secure learning environment for everybody, our students and staff,” Malek said. He explained that the district adopted the ICS-100 incident command certification for administrators, standardized drill procedures, and will pilot visitor-management kiosks at two schools to replace multiple paper sign-in sheets.
Malek said Carehawk—an integrated audio/visual alert system tied to the district’s mass-notification tool—has been rolled out to some buildings and will expand this summer. The system provides visual cues on hallway and classroom displays and can remotely coordinate protocols across multiple buildings.
On reunification, Malek said the district is forming a reunification task force—including collaboration with neighboring District 59—to plan safe reunification sites, staff roles and mutual-aid support. He also described ongoing parking-lot safety assessments and a redesign of London School’s drop-off/pickup pattern after a vehicle struck a pedestrian; the district said there were no serious injuries.
Other initiatives Malek highlighted included stop-the-bleed training and kits, a threat-assessment team structure and training, and a renewed focus on SRO (school resource officer) roles. He said the SROs are assigned to middle schools with scheduled outreach to feeder elementary schools and that NASRO training and role clarity guide their work. Board members asked for clarity about what SROs do and do not do; Malek emphasized relationship-building and training.
Why it matters The district is implementing a layered safety strategy that pairs physical upgrades with staff training, standardized protocols and regional coordination. These steps affect emergency response times, visitor accountability and parent reunification in a serious incident.
What the board asked Board members asked whether the district would seek community organizations to support reunification and whether mutual-aid partners would need trauma-informed training. Malek said region-wide emergency-management and health-care coalitions were likely partners and that external organizations would require specific training before taking part in reunification operations.
Ending Malek said the district will continue third-party safety assessments, pursue grant funding for safety projects and pilot the visitor kiosks this spring before deciding on districtwide deployment.
