Parents Criticize La Grange D102 Security Measures

LA GRANGE PARK, IL – Parents of La Grange School District 102 students last week denounced the district's handling of security, with the superintendent saying the schools have become "lax" in some ways.

The criticism followed an April 21 incident in which the district said a local man used profanity and made comments that felt threatening to others. It took place around dismissal time at the campus containing Forest Road and Barnsdale Road schools in La Grange Park.

At Thursday's board meeting, Superintendent Kyle Schumacher confirmed that the man was a district employee more than eight years ago.

The incident has prompted the district to relook at its security procedures, he said.

"In a lot of places, we have become lax when things are going well," Schumacher said. "We live in a small community where our secretaries in that building know and live in the community. They know everyone who is there. So sometimes we fall into what I think is a false sense of security."

No charges were filed against the man because he did commit any crimes, Schumacher said.

"We want to honor the civil rights of everyone involved with that," he said.

The district and La Grange Park police plan to share the costs of an officer stationed on campus during school hours for the rest of the school year, Schumacher said.

But parents told the school board they were unhappy with campus security.

Resident Joanna Lago recounted her experience entering the school last year.

"I was let into the building by someone who held the door. The office was busy. No fault of the secretaries whatsoever," Lago said. "I sat down and looked at the wide open door to my kids' school. I left shaken."

She said she was "blown away" when she alerted the district to her concerns. She said she was told that the district was working on it. But then she said she experienced the same thing again this year.

She said she is the principal of another elementary school in the area, which she said has more security measures in place. She did not name the school, but online records show she is in charge of Sherlock Elementary in Cicero.

Lago said her school has a different demographic with not as much property tax income. She said her school has security features that her children's school does not – among others, a double buzz-in system and video cameras with two-way communications outside the building, she said.

Referring to what she considered the district's lack of effort, Lago repeatedly said, "That's not OK."

Jamie Zaura, a La Grange Park trustee, also pushed for more security measures. She said she was not speaking as a trustee.

"I'm requesting the board provide the district administration (money) to hire a safety consultant to walk through every building and analyze the safety flaws," she said.

She also said the district should hire a security officer, possibly a retired police officer, who would rotate among the schools.

"Many districts in the area do this. We do not," Zaura said.

Board President Mike Melendez said board members see security as important and plan to take action to improve it.

Patch has filed a public records request for the police report on the April 21 incident.