Preschool Parents Urge Park District To Communicate More Amid Safety Improvements

GLEN ELLYN, IL — Parents are urging Glen Ellyn Park District board members for quicker solutions and more communication amid plans to improve student safety at the Main Street Recreation Center's preschool. The park district has hired a safety consultant and continues to take steps toward improving safety after a man was tried to enter a classroom and was seen taking pictures of activity inside the preschool in early November.

Glen Ellyn police told Patch no charges were filed as the man was an apparent First Amendment Auditor taking pictures in a public place, as the preschool is housed within the recreation center.

At the Feb. 17 board meeting, Park District Executive Director David Thommes said shatterproof security film had already been installed on windows at the preschool. He added that six or seven cameras were set to be "strategically placed throughout the building."

Within the next four to six weeks, the park district will work with their security consultant to further assess safety throughout the preschool and the recreation center building.

Among the changes being considered is moving some classrooms so all of the classrooms will be located on one or two floors. These changes would not be made before the end of the school year, though, to avoid disrupting instruction.

Currently, two classrooms are housed on the lower level of the building, one on the upper level and one classroom and the main office on the second floor.

Bill and Sarah Costello, preschool parents who attended the meeting via Zoom, pressed board members for more information about when parents will find out a timeline for these and other changes that are being considered by the park district.

They noted that the information will be useful as parents decide where to enroll their children for the fall.

"We've been asking for more communication. As things progress, tell us. And that hasn't happened," Sarah Costello said.

Thommes said the best way for parents to stay updated is to keep attending the board meetings. He said updates would also be made available in his staff report.

Park district officials have continued to cite the preschool's location in a public building as being especially challenging when it comes to locking parts of the building that also house preschool classrooms.

"The decision to not lock the doors for this school year is really upsetting," Costello said. "You're allowing people to come in...anyone...and just have it wide open. It's really disappointing that you all can't come together and just figure out how to lock some doors."

According to park district officials, consolidating the classrooms onto one or two floors will help facilitate better securing them from visitors to the recreation center.

Costello suggested moving the park district's adult programs to Lake Ellyn, Ackerman SFC or Maryknoll Clubhouse.

"I asked for that and nobody's responded to that request," she said, adding that open gym can be held on Ackerman's basketball court or turf.

Since open gym is just one day of the week, she said, the park district could lock access doors on the other days of the week.

Parent Jessica Schulz asked if anyone had visited the building during preschool hours so they can get an idea of what it's like during pickup and dropoff.

Vice President Mary Crickmore said she's been to the building. Other commissioners added that their children had attended preschool there.

Schulz suggested approaching the safety improvements "from a phased approach."

She said parents would like to "start the upcoming school year with an even stronger safety protocol," adding, "I really hope we can do some more immediate things."