Ridgeview CUSD #19
300 S. Harrison Street.  Colfax.  IL  61728  Phone. 309-723-5111

Click here for Cold Weather Attendance Days Information 

Dear Parents/Guardians:
Should an emergency or disaster situation ever arise in our area while school is in session, we want you to be aware that the schools have made preparations to respond effectively to such situations.

During school hours, your student(s) will be cared for at Ridgeview.  Our School District has a detailed emergency operations plan which has been formulated to respond to a major catastrophe. This plan has been developed with the assistance of our police and fire departments.

As a parent, your first instinct will be to call the school or come to the school to get your child.  Please know that we will do everything we can to protect your child. We will communicate with you as quickly as we can.  During an emergency our focus will be on the immediate safety needs of students and staff.

In keeping with these priorities, please read the following instructions carefully. Your cooperation is necessary in any emergency.

1.    Please do not telephone the school. Telephone lines will be needed for emergency communication.

2.    In the event of a serious emergency, students will be kept at their school until the emergency passes and it is safe to dismiss using normal transportation and dismissal or they are picked up by parent or guardian.

3.         Parent Information

• Go to district web site www.ridgeview19.org click on emergency information linkin the parent tab.  We will post information and directions on this site.

• We will telephone all parents using an automated call system.  You will receive information and directions from this phone call.  To insure that you receive a telephone call, please check to make sure that the school has your current phone number on record.

• As quickly as we can, we will notify the media of the situation and instructions on what you should do.

4.    Impress upon your children the need for them to follow the directions of any school personnel in times of an emergency

Students will be released only to their parents or guardians.  We will not release students to anyone other than a parent or guardian. During an emergency, we must know where every student is at all times.  Therefore, the dismissal of students to parents may not happen until the emergency passes. Please instruct your student to remain at school until you or a guardian arrives. The decision to keep students at school will be based upon whether or not streets in the area are open. If this occurs, radio stations will be notified. In the event that a natural disaster takes place during the time that students are being transported, students will be kept on the bus and the driver will ask for assistance through radio contact with the school and district personnel. Any child who is home waiting for the bus will not be picked up (if roads are impassable) and remains the responsibility of the parent or guardian.

Weather Related Emergencies
Depending on the time of day and the circumstances, the decision to cancel school or alter the starting or ending time of school will be made by the superintendent.
If an early dismissal is required, bus drivers will make every attempt to continue delivering students to their bus stops.

• Should road conditions prevent the driver from delivering students to their home or to school in the morning information will be given to the parents.

Hazardous release event (chemical spill) near the school area,

• Shelter-in-Place procedures will be implemented to provide in place protection.

• All students and staff will move inside, report to their rooms and

• Efforts will be made to prevent outside air from entering classrooms during the emergency.

• Students arriving at school during a Shelter-in-Place drill or event should report to the school office or to a previously designated area at the school because classrooms will be inaccessible.

Lockdown

• No one allowed in or out of school site

• Students and staff held in secure area

• Police will have control of site and will control access

• Do not attempt to go to the school site until “All Clear” has been given

When the dangerous incident has subsided, an all-clear signal will be given.
Please discuss these matters with your immediate family. Planning ahead will help alleviate concern during emergencies.

Communication during an emergency is critical.  We will use the public media and our automated telephone calling system to communicate with you and our community.  Please understand that your child’s safety is our first priority. All staff members will do everything they can to protect your child.  You can help us achieve this goal by following directions provided by the school district.

Sincerely,

Mr. Erik Young
Superintendent