Good Afternoon Cicero District 99 Community,

In the District, the top priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff and entire school community. On behalf of the Board of Education and the District Leadership Team, I am reaching out to address the topic of threats of violence and to ask for your continued partnership in keeping our students and school community safe. 

Sadly, we continue to hear about tragic acts of school violence that occur across our state and nation and know that we must remain vigilant at all times here in our own school district. Recently, we have also heard news about a rise in social media “hoax threats” targeting school districts, and learned of multiple school districts throughout the state that have been affected by such threats. Rest assured, that the schools and District will take necessary steps to inform families of any threat that was deemed credible or that potentially poses a risk to student or staff safety. 

I would like to emphasize the following points: 

• Every threat against a student, staff member or one of our facilities is taken seriously and investigated thoroughly to determine if the threat has any viability.
• Our school administration and support teams have been trained on crisis response protocols and threat assessment protocols to respond when alleged threats are reported. 
• Local law enforcement is engaged, based on the level and nature of the threat, to investigate and handle the related follow-up in the home or community, and/or to assist with the legal ramifications of any safety threat. 

There is no such thing as a “joke” when it comes to threats of violence or unsafe behavior. Threats, intimidation or violence within our school premises are subject to school disciplinary consequences up to and including expulsion and there may also be serious legal consequences. 

We request your continued support with the following: 

• Have open and honest conversations with your child(ren) about the consequences of making threats and the impact it can have on themselves and others.
• Encourage your child to report knowledge or rumors of any threats or concerning behavior directly to you or to school administration. “If you see or hear something, say something!”
• Regularly talk to your child about responsible digital communication and social media usage.
• Monitor your child’s social media usage and digital communication on their phone or any device.

Every member of our District 99 community must play a role in keeping our students and schools safe. We thank you in advance for your continued partnership in this effort. 

Please feel free to contact me or your school administration with questions or concerns. 

Thank you,

Dr. Aldo Calderin
Superintendent