Oak Park District outlines safety protocols and marks 100th Black History Month
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Summary
At its board meeting, Oak Park ESD 97 leaders reviewed district safety protocols, including use of the I Love You Guys Standard Response Protocol and Raptor notifications, and announced Black History Month activities and a forthcoming FAQ for families.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 officials used Monday’s board meeting to reassure families about school safety and to highlight district plans for Black History Month. Superintendent (speaker 2) said the district marked the 100th anniversary of Black History Month with districtwide events and invited board members to attend school celebrations.
The superintendent turned to Dr. Starks to describe the district’s safety practices. Dr. Starks said the district follows the I Love You Guys Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which staff practice regularly, and that the Raptor system sends immediate alerts to staff so they can respond consistently. She said non-staff visitors are directed to main offices and that the district maintains a central office safety team and a designated district point person to provide on-site support when needed.
Dr. Starks walked the board through how SRP works in practice, saying SRP lets staff act quickly to bring people inside buildings during concerning situations and that the district has used drills and the protocol in multiple situations over the last three years. She also noted the district has published family-facing guidance — including procedures related to immigration enforcement personnel — on the district website and in prior communications.
Superintendent (speaker 2) thanked Dr. Starks and said the district is preparing an FAQ addressing recent community questions about safety; the FAQ will be distributed to families once completed. No board action on safety protocols was taken during the meeting; the superintendent said members should send specific questions by email to Patrick or Greg for follow-up.
The meeting also opened the district’s Black History Month observances: the superintendent said every board member received a commemorative packet and that schools are sharing pictures and programs celebrating art, music and classroom lessons throughout the month. The district encouraged board members to attend local events where schedules permit.
Next steps: the district will publish the promised FAQ and continue communications to families about safety practices and event invitations.
