Huntley 158 board approves mutual-aid crisis agreement with McHenry County districts

The Huntley Community School District 158 Board voted Oct. 16 to accept an intergovernmental cooperation agreement that formalizes mutual assistance among McHenry County school districts for crisis response.

What the agreement does: District staff said the agreement expands mutual support for personnel, equipment and facility use in emergencies and establishes an advisory panel that includes representatives from the Regional Office of Education, emergency management, police and fire associations, several superintendents or designees, and the McHenry County state's attorney's office for advisory input.

Cost and governance: Staff noted a small annual participation fee of $250 per district. The agreement does not change a district's local response protocols; the local district, together with local law enforcement and fire, remains the initial incident commander and would request assistance through the mutual-aid framework if needed.

Board discussion: Board members asked who would serve as the central command when assistance is provided and how cross-county districts would be handled; presenters said the agreement includes an advisory panel to develop practical processes and that the local district would still lead incident command while the advisory panel would help coordinate needs assessments and resources.

Vote: The motion to accept the intergovernmental cooperation agreement passed unanimously, 7-0.

Next steps: District staff will participate in the county advisory panel and work with regional partners to operationalize how and when assistance is requested and allocated.