Cook County School District 130 welcomes 2,900 students back to school

Cook County School District 130 has welcomed nearly 2,900 students back to its 12 schools, and the year is off to a strong start. The District – which serves the communities of Alsip, Blue Island, Crestwood and Robbins – has introduced important safety, security and building updates and is continuing to strengthen mental health services.

Superintendent Colleen M. McKay, Ed.D., points to several recent projects and initiatives that are helping the District provide a safe and supportive learning environment. “The safety, security and well-being of our students and staff are our most important priorities,” she says, “and we are proud of the progress we have made, particularly the work we accomplished in our buildings last spring and over the summer.”

Safety/Security and Building Updates

Last year, a team of security industry experts and Cook County School District 130’s Safety Department completed an extensive assessment of the buildings. The District has taken several steps based on the recommendations, and also has been addressing other safety, security and building priorities.

• In March, the Board of Education approved the purchase of three Evolv Express security scanners. The devices, which can detect questionable items in pockets, coats and bags, were placed at the main entrances of the middle schools. The schools had successful practice runs with students prior to the end of the school year, and the devices were utilized for graduation ceremonies. The District fully rolled out the system on the first day of school and has been successfully using it in the three schools. “This is one of many effective tools that will help us protect students and staff to the best of our ability,” McKay says.
• Last school year, Cook County School District 130 began to require clear backpacks, book bags and bags. This was effective at enhancing student safety, according to administrators, and is being continued this year.
• Over the summer, phase two of the Life Safety Project was completed in Veterans Memorial Middle School. Since 2023, 18 classrooms have been reconfigured from open to closed concept by removing half walls and installing full CMU (concrete) walls and doors. All classrooms in the building are now more secure and have locking doors that can be used if there is an intruder.
• In Nathan Hale Primary and Nathan Hale Intermediate Schools, the District upgraded all classroom door closers and handles to enhance safety, security and ADA accessibility.
• Last spring, the schools’ key card/swipe access controls, which were more than 10 years old, were updated with new technology.
• The District continues to use additional Safety Liaisons, a program that was expanded last school year. These liaisons typically are housed in the middle schools but also visit the elementary schools to ensure safety throughout the District.
• Last school year, the ParentSquare app was implemented, to help the District communicate with families more effectively. Users have been pleased with this communications tool, and it will continue to be in use this year.
• The HVAC rooftop units at Paul Revere Primary School, George Washington School and Lincoln School have been upgraded, and air handler upgrades have been made at Nathan Hale Middle School. This work improves efficiency and air quality in the buildings. The District also replaced the aging roof at Nathan Hale Primary School.

Mental Health Services

As an extension of the safety and security focus, Cook County School District 130 also is greatly increasing access to school-based mental health services, thanks to a $10.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. “We were honored to receive these funds that are intended to strengthen the pipeline of mental health professionals in high-need school districts,” McKay says.

The District is receiving the money over a five-year period and using it to increase the number of healthcare providers and services in schools. This includes:

• Doubling the number of school social workers.
• Hiring a lead clinician to facilitate programming.
• Purchasing new SEL curricular resources for K-8 classrooms (Second Step and PeekaPak).
• Partnering with community agencies to establish an interconnected framework to better support students’ mental health and overall well-being.
• Refining the approach to Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

In addition, the District has developed a new Employee Assistance Program to support teachers, staff and administrators; has trained administrators and staff in trauma responsiveness and other key mental health areas; and has created well-being kits for each school. The customized kits support social workers and counselors with activities that focus on things like meditation, mindfulness, anxiety, play therapy and creative art therapy.

McKay says Cook County School District 130 has many other exciting initiatives planned for this school year. She says community members can stay informed via her communications, the website at district130.org, and the Facebook and Instagram pages.

“We encourage parents/guardians – along with the entire community – to be involved and engaged in supporting our young learners and the schools,” she says. “We are proud of the hard work our students and staff have done so far, as we get the new year off to a great start.”