Lane Tech Parents Inspire Added Lighting, Security Cameras

When Rob Paral drops his daughter off at Lane Tech High School in the mornings, he can only describe the traffic as “atrocious.”

“There will be another child hit,” he said. “(Students) swarm across both streets.”

But Paral and his wife Susan Dobinsky heard good news when they came to a meeting of parents and CPS officials Wednesday night at the school.

A pedestrian island at Western and Cornelia avenues, better lighting and security cameras are headed Lane Tech’s way, officials said.

The motivation for improvements largely came from Lane Tech’s Parent Student Teacher Organization. More than 625 people signed a petition from the group asking for better safety around the school and parking lot.

That petition spurred a meeting with nearly 60 parents and students Wednesday to discuss safety measures.

“We don’t want to wait for something bad to happen before we take action,” CPS Chief Safety Officer Jadine Chou said. “Eventually, something bad will happen, and what can we do in advance to be proactive to avoid that?”

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After a previous meeting in February about safety concerns, CPS officials walked around the school’s campus and found several existing lights were broken or burnt out.

Those became the first priority, said Leslie Boozer, chief of schools for the North/Northwest Side High School Network.

Some lights have already been replaced, and CPS Facility Manager Bilqis Jacobs-El hopes to have the rest complete by Friday. Then, she said, officials would do another inspection and see what, if any, additional light is needed around the school and parking lot.  

Other security measures like an alarm system and security cameras are also on the way, but not in the immediate future, Chou said. The cost—upwards of $500,000—would be too much to bear at one time for the district.

Officials will start a budget plan to phase in the cameras, with the first phase coming in the fall, she said.

Chou and Boozer reminded parents at the meeting three security guards patrol the school after hours. That’s in addition to 14 security officers and two uniformed Chicago Police Department officers that rotate at the school.

Chou also calmed parents’ fears that Lane Tech had to compete for safety funds.

“I’m very sorry if there was any misunderstanding… how decisions are made on what schools get what sort of safety resources and cameras, etc.,” she said. “All students are important to us.”

Officials said schools in more dangerous neighborhoods were more likely to get stronger safety precautions because of the additional hazards. Lane Tech is known as being a safe school, Chou said.

While CPS officials will be responsible for the lighting and cameras, Ward 47 Ald. Ameya Pawar is taking steps toward pedestrian safety.

Construction on a pedestrian island at Western Avenue will start in the summer for completion by fall. Funding for the project comes from the ward’s menu funds—granted each year for infrastructure improvements.

The island will prevent cars from staying in the left turn lane down the street, the alderman said. Students will be able to stay on the concrete space until it’s safe to cross.

Though a firm timetable isn’t set, school crossing signage and speed cameras will also appear around the school, Pawar said.

“We feel more positive after tonight,” Dobinsky said. “The alderman, the principal, all of them are making the best they can with limited resources.”