U-46 board hears safety briefing on visitor checks, radios and random searches

The School District U-46 Board of Education received a comprehensive update on district safety on Feb. 9, with officials describing a layered approach that pairs physical security upgrades with training, communication and partnerships with law enforcement.

Director of school safety Rich Bosch said the district’s strategy is built around prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, and that daily situational awareness reports are shared with district administrators to “identify trends, anticipate needs, and offer targeted support.” Bosch said the work emphasizes both physical measures and “strengthening relationships, student voice, and inclusive practices.”

Kevin McKenzie, security operations manager, briefed the board on technology upgrades, saying two-way radio replacements and repeater installations have been completed at multiple elementary sites and several other schools, and that installations at remaining schools are pending Federal Communications Commission licensing. He also described the district’s long-standing use of the Raptor visitor-management system, which checks government-issued identification against offender databases and custom alerts and creates documented visitor logs.

Kevin Cysnowski, the district safety coordinator, outlined school-site assessments — exterior and interior reviews of doors, locks, cameras, lighting, parking flow, evacuation maps and emergency equipment — and said the district conducts audits and training to ensure procedures are implemented. He told the board that during the 2024–25 school year the district conducted 224 random classroom searches; while “no weapons were found, 65 items of contraband including cannabis, vapes, [and] cigarettes were recovered.”

Bosch described the district’s partnership with embedded school resource officers (SROs), saying 15 SROs work across South Elgin, Elgin, Bartlett and Streamwood. He said all SROs complete required training through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board and participate in bimonthly coordination meetings with district safety staff to align practices.

Board members asked clarifying questions about where random searches are conducted (officials said searches are run at the high school level, not middle schools), the district’s compliance with Illinois drill requirements, and plans for continued professional development. Bosch and staff said they would continue monthly updates and emphasized ongoing evaluation and improvement of safety systems.

Next steps: district safety staff will continue to deliver monthly situational reports to administrators, finalize radio installations pending FCC approvals, and continue training and coordination with school teams and emergency partners.

Direct quotes used in this article come from the presenters’ remarks to the U-46 board during the Feb. 9, 2026 meeting.