Emergency School Closings

The decision to open or close schools is made in consultation with surrounding school districts, our transportation provider, city road reports, and National Weather Service information. Batavia Public School District 101 will only announce when schools are closed.

We make every effort to provide a safe and secure school environment. You, however, make the final decision regarding your child’s welfare. If schools are open, please only send your child to school if you feel your local conditions are safe.

To help keep you informed of school closings, we have six resources:

1. BPS101 Messenger: Set personal delivery preferences for email, text messages and/or phone calls
2. BPS101 Website: Our site will have notices posted by 6 a.m.
3. Twitter
4. Facebook
5. BPS101 Emergency Advisory Line: Call (630) 937-8899 anytime for updates
6. Emergency Closing Center: Information is broadcast on all Chicago-area TV stations and on the radio stations WGN AM 720 and WBBM AM 780. You can also access the center directly at EmergencyClosing.com.

Please be advised that notification systems are not perfect. Radio and television notices are not always broadcast promptly; Web pages are not always available; and telephone communications may not always be possible. For this reason, we use multiple communication channels to provide you with accurate and timely information.

To ensure that you receive important school closing notifications, we encourage you to access or subscribe to more than one of these resources.

How We Prepare for Emergencies

Our schools have emergency supplies, including a supply of food and water, as well as first aid supplies, rescue equipment, and other basic necessities. These supplies are inspected regularly and used during drills. Most schools also have additional emergency supplies located in each classroom.

Our schools conduct a number of regular emergency drills. Every school conducts a number of fire drills.  In addition, schools conduct at least one tornado and lockdown drill to practice procedures. The District has an emergency plan that outlines responses for all kinds of hazards and emergency situations.

We have safe buildings, and each school also undergoes annual safety inspections by the Kane County Regional Office of Education and the Batavia Fire Department.  During the school day, there is only one entrance through which visitors can access the school.

We have trained personnel at each school, including a nurse. In addition, our staff take courses in disaster preparation, response, and emergency management. If there is an emergency at school, school personnel have been trained and will react quickly to protect children.

Keep yourself informed of school procedures by attending parent meetings, reading the student handbook, school newsletters, and checking the school website periodically. Ask your child about their school’s emergency drills, and make sure that your family is prepared for emergencies, too.

School Response to Emergencies

If there is an emergency at school, school personnel have been trained and will react quickly to protect children. If the emergency is a fire, students will evacuate until authorities determine that it is safe to re-enter the buildings.  Students will not return until the buildings have been inspected and it is determined to be safe to enter. In both of these cases, students are being led away from the building, which due to the fire or earthquake has become a possible danger to them.  In rare instances, where more distance is needed to ensure student safety, students may be relocated to another school site.  Parents will be advised of all relocations through an automated phone message.

If there is a hazard outside, such as a report of a person in the area with a gun, or a nearby chemical release, students will be brought inside where the building itself will help protect them from danger. Schools will act to protect students and are prepared to shelter the students inside classrooms, for hours, if necessary.  If students are held for a lengthy period of time, there are plans in place for emergency food, medical and restroom needs – these plans vary depending on the nature of the danger to students.

If there is an emergency at school, you will generally see one of two scenarios when you arrive at the school. You may see all of the students outside in an assembly area, if the building is potentially dangerous to the students, or you will see no one outside, because there is a potential hazard outside of the school, and officials are keeping the children inside, and using the building to help shield the students from harm.

Depending on the situation, you may not be able to get close to the school and may be asked to wait in a safe area near the school. If it is hazardous for students to be released, everyone will be kept inside the school until they are notified by the authorities that it is safe.  Schools will act with the safety of students in mind, and school officials will always follow the directives of the police department and the fire department.

Communicating With the School During an Emergency

Schools communicate regularly with parents using Messenger, our electronic messaging system.  Parents will receive automated phone calls, text messages, and emails during school emergencies.  If you are not receiving messages from Messenger, check with your child’s school to ensure that the school has the correct number for you.  It is imperative that we have correct contact information for you during an emergency.  Make sure you update your school emergency card and contact information for each child each time the information changes.

Please do not attempt to call the school during an emergency, we will contact you with the information you need to know.  Although there are people assigned to answer phones at school, these lines are likely to be overloaded during an emergency, and are not your best source of information.  Keep your phone with you during emergencies so that you can receive updates.  For school emergency information, check the following sources: the District website, BPS101.net, District Twitter feed @BPS101, and District Facebook feed /BPS101.

Depending on the emergency, you may not be able to get close to the school and may be asked to wait in a safe area. If it is hazardous for students to be released, everyone will be kept inside the school until notified by the authorities that it is safe outside. Schools will act with the safety of students in mind, and school officials will always follow the directives of the police department and the fire department.

Family Reunification Following an Emergency

When it is safe to pick up your child following an emergency, you will need to follow a special process to ensure everyone’s safety.  You must bring I.D. and you must be listed on the child’s emergency card in order to check a child out. When your identity is verified, your child will be brought to you.