Update spring 2017

RISK MANAGEMENT / SPRING2014 2017 OPERATIONS ISSUE / SUMMER

INDISPENSABLE TOOL for SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

STAYING VIGILANT

TO KEEP YOUR DISTRICT SAFE | 24

ACTIVE SHOOTER SITUATIONS | 14 IS YOUR DISTRICT PREPARED FOR A CYBER-ATTACK? | 30 SHIFTING EDUCATION RISKS | 40

“Networking at the Conference creates relationships where I can receive and provide help. It is impossible for an SBO to know everything about everything. We have to rely on our peers and Service Associates to fill in the gaps, provide some examples and coach us through various situations.”

Jennifer J. Hermes, SFO 2016 – 2017 Illinois ASBO President

GET

TO A FAST-CHANGING INDUSTRY

2017 ANNUAL CONFERENCE, APRIL 26-28, 2017, PEORIA CIVIC CENTER, PEORIA IL REGISTER TODAY AT WWW.IASBO.TOOLS/CONNECTED2017

“The Annual Conference provides key information on legislation, funding, mandates and current events in the industry. This new information allows us to better tailor our services to assist our clients in the constantly changing world of school administration.”

Stephen Chassee 2016 – 2017 SAAC Chair

INSIDE

Illinois Association of School Business Officials UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017 / v.24 / i.03

STAYING VIGILANT

update

CASH MANAGEMENT ISSUE / SUMMER 2017

INDISPENSABLE TOOL for SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

TO KEEP YOUR DISTRICT SAFE Education personnel are responsible for safeguarding our children and ensuring a safe school and workplace. Staying vigilant starts with giving all school-based employees the opportunity to learn and understand their role in school safety and emergency response.

By Ronald Ellis and Sandra Ellis, Ph.D.

24

Multiplying Your Resources: Getting More With Less

THE NEXT ISSUE: CASH MANAGEMENT Multiplying Your Resources: Getting the Most from Your District Assets.

LOOKING FOR PAST ISSUES? Visit ISSUU.com and search for Illinois ASBO.

Armed intruder and active shooter situations are occurring with greater frequency every year. Prepare your staff for the unthinkable with these proven life-saving tips and strategies.

By Mike Bolender and Ted Hayes

14

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It Takes a PERSPECTIVE

FROM-THE-PODIUM Time for a Fresh Look at Your Programs. 07

FROM-THE-OFFICE Preparing for the Unexpected. 09

Village Teaming with SROs and Local Municipalities for School Safety

Trust is huge when it comes to working with first responders. Working seamlessly with community partners means getting on the same page, training together and working side by side to assess your vulnerabilities.

Is Your District Prepared for a Cyber-Attack?

FROM-THE-FIELD Common Mistakes in School Safety and Security. 11

As school districts become more reliant on technology for curriculum and day-to-day operations of the district, planning and budgets must reflect the need to secure digital assets.

BUSINESS PARTNERS Comprehensive Benefits for Schools. 18

SCHOOL BUSINESS 101 How Districts Tap Their Tort Funds: Insurance, Alarm Systems, Asbestos and more. 19

20

By Amy Campbell

By Keith A. Bockwoldt, CETL

BUYER BEWARE

30

Construction Project and Contract Pitfalls Whether your district is constructing a new facility, renovating or repairing, you should be aware of these common pitfalls and challenges before starting your project.

By Kenneth M. Florey and Nicole Karas

34

RESOURCES

A Moving Target

There are many potential hazards in public schools. With laws and regulations constantly raising the bar of required inspections, keeping up is critical to a safe environment in your community buildings.

38

By John Fuhrer, CPMM, CPS

CLIMATE CHANGE Protecting Your District from Shifting Education Risks How do you identify and address risks that are changing as fast as the field of education itself? The answer is a three-fold approach that melds awareness, planning and protection.

By Patrick Sheahan

40

ON MY LIST An Inspirational Story of Survival

43

The Final Word John E. Lavelle Asst. Supt./Business Services Cons. High Sch. Dist. 230 John’s role as a business official is to make sure programs are sustainable and educational efforts are not interrupted due to a lack of funds.

He assists in finding ways to fund the initiatives his team and board of education decide are most beneficial to students.

46

RESOURCES: Staying Vigilant: Key Resources to Minimize Risk

44 www.iasbo.org

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THE

MAGA ZINE Illinois Association of School Business Officials

CALENDAR OF

Northern Illinois University, IA-103 108 Carroll Avenue DeKalb, IL 60115-2829 P: (815) 753-1276 / F: (815) 516-0184 / www.iasbo.org

EVENTS

UPDATE Editorial Advisory Board

Check out www.iasbo.org or the latest Calendar of Events included in the UPDATE mailing for full seminar listings including location and PDC sponsorship and register for professional development today.

April 2017

March 2017 June 2014

S 29 5 12 19 26 2

M 30 6 13 20 27 3

T W T F S 31 1 2 3 4 7 8 9 10 11 14 15 16 17 18 21 22 23 24 25 28 29 30 31 1 4 5 6 7 8

Date

S 26 2 9 16 23 30

M 27 3 10 17 24 1

T 28 4 11 18 25 2

W 29 5 12 19 26 3

T 30 6 13 20 27 4

F S 31 1 7 8 14 15 21 22 28 29 5 6

Time

May 2017

June 2017

S M T W T F S 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

S 28 4 11 18 25 2

Event

M 29 5 12 19 26 3

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W T F S 31 1 2 3 7 8 9 10 14 15 16 17 21 22 23 24 28 29 30 1 5 6 7 8

Location

BOARD & EXTERNAL RELATIONS MEMBERS Jennifer J. Hermes, SFO President Stephen Chassee SAAC Chair

Online

AT-LARGE MEMBERS Theresa Gegen Illinois Association of School Boards

3/1/17

Lunch & Learn Webinar: Registration & Event 12:00pm Payment Best Practices

3/2/17

8:30am

Debt Issuance from A to Z: Important Topics Administrators Need to Know — AAC #821

Naperville

3/7/17 3/8/17 3/9/17

9:00am

ISDLAF+ School Finance Seminar

Naperville East Peoria O'Fallon

3/10/17

8:00am

19th Annual Risk Management Seminar — AAC #1283

Naperville

3/14/17

8:00am

Facilities Operations Program: Essentials of Facilities Management

Lisle

3/15/17

8:00am

Facilities Professionals Conference

Lisle

3/17/17

8:00am

Bookkeepers Conference

3/20-23/17

8:00am

CPMM Facilities Certification Training & Exam

3/22/17

5:00pm

Leadership Institute Cohort 2017

St. Charles

3/22/17

8:00am

Legal Standards for the Management of School Personnel — AAC #820

Naperville

4/5/17

8:00am

Facilities Operations Program: Essentials of Custodial Operations

4/26-28/17

7:00am

2017 Illinois ASBO Annual Conference

7/27/17

1:00pm

PDC Networking Meeting

7/27/17

3:30pm

New Connections Happy Hour

8/3/17

7:30am

NextGen SBO Summit

Naperville Pekin

Lisle Peoria Schaumburg Schaumburg Arlington Heights

9/7/17

10:00am Presidents' Cup Gala

9/19/17

8:00am

SupportCon

Springfield

9/22/17

8:00am

ASBO International Annual Meeting & Expo

Denver, CO

10/13/17

7:30am

TechCon

10/25/17

8:30am

Regional Conference — Decatur

10/26/17

8:30am

Regional Conference — Mt. Vernon

11/17/17

08:00am

12/1/17

07:30am SupportCon

IASB/IASA/Illinois ASBO 85th Joint Annual Conference

PDC MEMBERS Patrick S. Browne Sustainability Catherine H. Chang Food Service Seth Chapman Budgeting & Financial Planning Yasmine Dada Principles of School Finance Kevin L. Dale Technology Eric DePorter Human Resource Management Jeff E. Feyerer Leadership Development Kenneth M. Florey Purchasing John A. Gibson Technology Anton Inglese Technology Ron Johnson Purchasing Eric M. Miller Budgeting & Financial Planning Kristopher P. Monn Legal Issues Mary Werling Purchasing

Wheaton

Naperville Decatur Mt. Vernon Chicago Downer's Grove

STAFF MEMBERS Michael Jacoby Executive Director / CEO (815) 753-9366, mjacoby@iasbo.org Susan P. Bertrand Deputy Executive Director / COO (815) 753-9368, sbertrand@iasbo.org Rebekah L. Weidner Senior Copywriter (815) 753-9270, rweidner@iasbo.org Tammy Curry Senior Graphic Designer (815) 753-9393, tcurry@iasbo.org John Curry Graphic Designer (815) 753-7654, jcurry@iasbo.org Zack Hildebrand Membership & Marketing Coordinator (815) 753-9371, zhildebrand@iasbo.org

Illinois ASBO Board of Directors Jennifer J. Hermes, SFO President David H. Hill President-Elect Cathy L. Johnson Treasurer Susan L. Harkin Immediate Past President 2014–17 Board of Directors Barry Bolek, Dean T. Romano, Paul Starck-King 2015–18 Board of Directors Mark W. Altmayer, Julie-Ann C. Fuchs, Eric M. Miller 2016–19 Board of Directors Jan J. Bush, Julie A. Jilek, Bradley L. Shortridge

Illinois ASBO Board Liaisons

Stephen Chassee Service Associate Advisory Committee Chair Anne E. Noble Service Associate Advisory Committee Vice Chair Terrie S. Simmons ASBO International Liaison Deborah I. Vespa ISBE Board Liaison Perry Hill IASB Board Liaison Paul McMahon Regional Superintendent Liaison Calvin C. Jackson Legislative Liaison

Privacy Policy

All materials contained within this publication are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed or published without the prior written permission of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials.

You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.

References, authorship or information provided by parties other than that which is owned by the Illinois Association of School Business Officials are offered as a service to readers. The editorial staff of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials was not involved in their production and is not responsible for their content.

PERSPECTIVE / Board President

FROM–THE–PODIUM Time For a Fresh Look at Your Programs “Spring is the time of plans and projects.”

— Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina In the cycle of school districts, this is certainly true. Spring brings about a sense of refreshment and preparation for the next school year — even as we are still actively engaged in finishing up the current school year. As we make those plans, it is important to be mindful of our risk management plans and programs. Spring can be a great time to review your current plans and programs and Jennifer J. Hermes, SFO make appropriate updates and adjustments as needed. Sometimes, these important steps are ASST. SUPT./BUSINESS SERVICES, CSBO LAKE FOREST SD 67 overlooked in the busy world of school business.

SIMPLY SAYING

It is not always easy to open your doors and invite others in to evaluate your programs and facilities, but external stakeholders should be viewed as valuable resources and members of your team.

In this issue of the UPDATE, there are fantastic articles to refresh ourselves on keeping our districts safe. When I review them, a theme that emerges is one of collaboration and partnership. Staying vigilant requires cooperative relationships with many stakeholders, both internal and external. Developing these relationships in advance is the key to successful plans and programs. For example, meeting with your local police and fire representatives should not occur only in times of crisis, but over time as school districts and municipalities work together for the collective good.

It is not always easy to open your doors and invite others in to evaluate your programs and facilities, but external stakeholders should be viewed as valuable resources

and members of your team. I encourage you to take advantage of the expertise available in the area of risk management including local police and firefighters, school resource officers, insurance cooperatives and legal counsel, just to name a few.

On a personal note, I absolutely love spring. The outside temperature slowly rises enough for me to run outside again after a long winter of indoor workouts and everything seems fresh and new. It can be a great time to reflect on personal goals and plans as well. As Tolstoy notes, “Spring is the time of plans and projects.” I wish you all a great spring of personal and professional reflection and growth.

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It is our responsibility as educators to reflect upon the current state of education in Illinois and take action to create an education system that meets the needs of all students.

http://illinoisvision2020.org

@ILVision2020

FulďŹ lling the Promise of Public Education

PERSPECTIVE / Executive Director

FROM–THE–OFFICE Preparing for the Unexpected “To be prepared is half the victory.”

— Miguel de Cervantes I am really excited about the topic for this issue of the UPDATE. Risk Management is an area where school business professionals must excel. In the investment world, we often talk about the risk-reward relationship. The higher the risk, the higher the potential reward (of course, we always recommend low risk investments for schools). When it comes to risk management, the relationships are a little different. Higher risk means a greater opportunity for disaster and lower risk is the opportunity to sleep at night knowing that you are protected against a cataclysmic loss.

Michael A. Jacoby, Ed.D, CAE, SFO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ILLINOIS ASBO

SIMPLY SAYING

If you are serious about being an excellent risk manager, I believe this UPDATE will offer you many opportunities to sharpen your arrows.

A risk manager is someone who knows the potential losses that are looming around every corner and also knows where to go and what to do for protection. This issue will deal with a vast array of areas of potential loss including: • • • • • •

Active shooter situations Natural disasters Cyber crime Contract pitfalls Building hazards Gaps in insurance coverage

If you are serious about being an excellent risk manager, I believe this UPDATE will offer you many opportunities to sharpen your arrows. However, in the end, it also takes action on your part! With an extremely busy workload, it is easy to say, “I will take care of that tomorrow.” When it comes to these type of threats (that can emerge at any moment) tomorrow may be one day too late!

I trust that as you read this issue you will pick up the phone or send an email to ensure that you are taking the appropriate measures to protect your school district. In the end, that buck stops with you. Do not delay — take action now.

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

— Abraham Lincoln

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WHAT WILL YOU

NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS REWARDS NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS REWARDS NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS REWARDS NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS REWARDS NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS OPPORTUNITY PARTNERS REWARDS NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS Learn How Service Associates Can NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY Get Involved and Get Rewarded: www.iasbo.tools/GAINS2017 NETWORK EXPOSURE COMMUNITY EXPERTISE FRIENDSHIPS SUCCESS

GAIN

THIS YEAR?

SERVICE ASSOCIATE PARTICIPATION REWARDS PROGRAM

PERSPECTIVE / SAAC Chair

FROM–THE–FIELD Common Mistakes in School Safety and Security I spend each day visiting different schools throughout Illinois. They range from small rural schools to large suburban schools, and every community is unique. The one thing that is consistent is that schools now want a stronger sense of security. Is this a real or false sense of security? Does having a digital visitor management system make your facility any safer? Does a double lock vestibule help deter criminals?

There are a number of districts that have taken a knee jerk reaction to school safety and security, often times at the request of their board of education. They find a “security professional” to come

Stephen Chassee ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL​ GREENASSOCIATES, INC.

SIMPLY SAYING

Changing staff behaviors is the single most important and least expensive thing a school district can do to protect their students and staff. in and add a surplus of cameras, buzzers and locks, or they instruct their staff to add items themselves. This is a common mistake and it is not entirely their fault. Even the state makes grants available to help them along the way. The problem is that many of these grants, and the subsequent projects, focus solely on the main entrances of the schools.

Lack of Staff Training Over the past 20 years, millions of dollars have been spent hardening main entrances, adding new surveillance systems, alarm systems, notification devices, visitor management software and other technology to aid the district in their quest for more secure buildings. Unfortunately, many of these systems, equipment and changes are not providing much more than a false sense of security. Until a good visitor management program is established, the staff has received proper training and new protocol is supported, the safety of the students and staff will not change, no matter how much money you spend trying to secure the building. Changing the behavior of the staff is the single most important and least expensive thing a school district can do to protect their students and staff.

Security in a Vacuum When addressing your security, address each building separately. A common mistake is when districts try to address their security in a vacuum and do not involve their local emergency responders in the discussion.

They should be involved from the start and should help frame the discussion. Their input is necessary to determine the changes that need to be made. You need to look at every entrance to your building, determine response times, evaluate protocols and coordinate communication. Invite your police and fire departments into your buildings on a regular basis; encourage them to spend time in your buildings.

Not Taking it Seriously Everyone is guilty of being over trusting, whether that is holding the door for the person behind us or propping open a door because it is convenient and we think nobody will break into a school. Nobody ever thinks that bad things will happen in their community. That is why the most common mistake in school safety and security is not taking it seriously. Your facility is only as secure as your weakest entrance.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Keith Bockwoldt, CETL

Mike Bolender

Amy Campbell

Dir. /Technology Twp. High Sch. Dist. 214

Founder PW Training Group LLC

Safety & Security Supervisor Geneva CUSD 304

Has more than 18 years of experience in the education field. Keith is a Certified Education Technology Leader and serves on the Board of Directors for the Consortium for School Networking.

Is a 23-year veteran with the Oak Creek Police Department (OCPD).

Captain Bolender has been involved in two active shooter incidents and has extensive SWAT team experience.

Mike also helped create two active shooter preparedness programs. pwtraininggroup@gmail.com

Has six years of safety supervisory experience and has worked diligently to enhance the district’s safety, security and emergency management. Prior to her current position, Amy was a detective assigned to Geneva High School as a school resource officer. acampbell@geneva304.org

keith.bockwoldt@d214.org

Ronald Ellis

Sandra Ellis, Ph.D.

Kenneth M. Florey

Vice President Ellis & Ellis Consulting, LLC

President Ellis & Ellis Consulting, LLC

Partner Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor, Ltd.

Has served as a subject matter expert to the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, ISBE and Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System. Ronald was also co-director of the Illinois School and Campus Security Training Program. ellisron@frontiernet.net

Serves as a national instructor for Texas A&M University System's TEEX LAW Division and Department of Homeland Security. Sandra was a school superintendent in five school districts and state co-director to the Illinois School and Campus Security Training Program for ten years. ellissandy@frontiernet.net

Ken concentrates his practice representing public and private clients, including municipalities, school districts, community colleges, private owners, contractors and design professionals regarding land use, municipal law, construction, tax, finance and litigation. kflorey@robbins-schwartz.com

John Fuhrer, CPMM, CPS

Ted Hayes

Nicole Karas

Dir. /Operations, Facilities & Trans.

North Shore SD 112

Senior Risk Manager M3 Insurance

Senior Counsel Robbins, Schwartz, Nicholas, Lifton & Taylor, Ltd.

Serves in leadership roles on the Illinois ASBO regional group of Lake County School Facility Managers and Maintenance and Operations PDC. John is a Lighthouse award recipient for his role in bringing the CPMM and CPS certifications to Illinois ASBO. jfuhrer@nssd112.org

Consults with businesses, school districts and municipalities throughout Wisconsin to develop safety programs and risk management strategies. Ted has served as a security and safety consultant to clients for over 29 years.

Ted.Hayes@m3ins.com

Focusing her practice on local government and corporate law, Nicole counsels clients on major construction, land acquisition, contract drafting and negotiation, intergovernmental cooperation agreements, board policies, personnel policies, employment issues and more. nkaras@robbins-schwartz.com

Thank you to our UPDATE Contributors and the Editory Advisory Board Patrick Sheahan Senior Vice President Alliant/Mesirow Insurance Services

Has been involved in property, liability and workers compensation risk management consulting for K-12 Illinois school districts and other government entities for over 15 years. Patrick also serves on the Risk Management PDC.

The Editory Advisory Board (EAB) ensures that the UPDATE Magazine remains the most anticipated resource for school business officials.

Members of the EAB bring expertise and perspective from all sides of school business management. They identify topics, resources and tools that prove useful to members.

Upcoming issue themes that the EAB will be addressing include:

• Human Resources • Operations (Ancillary) • Legal Issues • The Future

patrick.sheahan@alliant.com

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Equipping Your District for an Active Shooter Situation Armed intruder and active shooter situations are occurring with greater frequency every year. Even with all of the violent incidents occurring in today’s world, your chances of being involved in an active shooter situation are slim. But it is still critical that you and your district are prepared for an active shooter situation.

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

By Mike Bolender

ARTICLE

FOUNDER PW TRAINING GROUP, LLC

Ted Hayes SENIOR RISK MANAGER M3 INSURANCE

Statistics indicate that a little more than 60% of active shooter situations are over within five minutes. Either the shooter leaves the area, the shooter takes their own life or law enforcement or a prepared citizen neutralizes the situation. Knowing exactly what to do during those few minutes may mean the difference between life and death for you, a coworker and many others in your building.

An active shooter seeks three factors: 1. Easy targets of opportunity.

2. Little or no barricades or restrictions that will limit their movement.

3. Little or no supervision or confrontation that will restrict or end their actions.

Whether your school district uses A.L.I.C.E, Run-Hide-Fight, Lockdown, Evacuation or other employee crisis action protocols, it is critical to comprehend how to place as many roadblocks as possible between yourself and the intruder/shooter to increase your chances of surviving an active shooter event.

are or what you are doing, develop a thorough understanding of your surroundings. Know how to safely evacuate the area, how to barricade your area and, as a last resort, how and when to fight the intruder.

ALWAYS BE OBSERVANT. Use all of your senses, being attentive to your surroundings at all times. Be sure to trust your instincts and intuition. We get in trouble when we ignore what our gut is telling us. When you sense an unexplained concern or uneasiness about someone or something, look deeper at the situation or person and identify if there is danger or pending attack.

UNDERSTAND YOUR SURROUNDINGS EVERY TIME YOU ENTER A BUILDING. Look around and try to find at least two exit routes out of each area you enter and Know how to implement your personal the building itself. Take the time to enter “Ripple of Safety.” During a lockdown and leave the building using different or evacuation, know how to: routes. This familiarity with the building layout will be beneficial during 1. Get yourself to safety as a real evacuation. quickly as possible.

2. Notify others so they

ALWAYS SAY SOMETHING. Learn to report all suspicious activities, people or vehicles to law enforcement.

Ask yourself, is everyone in your It is law enforcement’s job to determine if school district prepared to deal the activity is something other than what it 3. Activate your district’s with an armed intruder? Take appears to be. The safest school districts emergency notification the time to share these proven are those that expand this concept and system. lifesaving ideas with everyone: follow “hear or see something, say or do something.” If you hear something 4. Call 911.

BE PREPARED TO ACT, (in person) or see comments, statements NOT REACT. People die when or questions on social media that Initially your biggest obstacle will be they mistakenly believe they must cause concern, bring that concern to a denial. Get past your denial and act! confirm the crisis is real. If you supervisor or the authorities. This also hear a sound that you perceive to means if you see or hear signs of imminent be a gunshot, it is a gunshot until danger, gunshots, yelling, screaming or proven otherwise. It is acceptable to individually initiate reports of an intruder, do not go to verify what is happening, your lockdown or run-hide-fight protocols. If it is proven act by initiating your pre-planned action script. to be a non-crisis, that is OK. MAINTAIN YOUR BRIGHTLY COLORED CRISIS CREATE MENTAL ACTION SCRIPTS. An action PLAN IN THE SAME LOCATION IN EVERY AREA/ script is a mental rehearsal plan of “what if” scenarios ROOM. regarding your immediate response to variety of crises – “if this happens, I will do that.”

LOOK AROUND THE ROOM FOR POTENTIAL WEAPONS. Every building/room contains many objects DAY TO DAY AWARENESS is your best personal and that can be used as weapons to distract or even disable professional protection mechanism. No matter where you an armed intruder or shooter. can get to safety and begin their own “ripple of safety.”

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One of the most well-known strategies for dealing with an active shooter situation is run-hide-fight. If you know there is an active shooter in your vicinity, your first option is to run and put as much distance between yourself and the shooter as possible. Your second option is to hide in a place that can be easily barricaded. Confronting the shooter should only be a last resort if running or hiding fail.

RUN

Always run away from the sound of gunfire.

Run to get out of the area quickly and safely creating distance between yourself and the shooter.

shooter in the building.” If possible, give descriptions of the shooter’s appearance, weapon types, location, direction of travel in building, location of known injured, etc.

If you are in a hallway or an open space with the shooter, create more distance between the two of you by running away and ensuring that heavy, bullet-stopping items (cover) are between you. This could include items made of steel or concrete. At times all you may have is concealment, items that block the shooters view, but cannot stop bullets.

Concealment objects include drywall, bushes, hollow core doors and most furniture. Understand that once the shooter knows you are on the other side of a concealment item, you could be shot directly through that item.

HIDE

When running from a shooter, create distance and 90 degree angles between you and the shooter. This can be accomplished by moving into opposing hallways, rooms, alcoves, doorways, etc.

Once you have evacuated the immediate area, scatter from others and run as far away as you can. Once you are safe, call 911.

Be prepared to provide exact details to the 911 operator. When you call 911 do not assume the person you are speaking to knows your exact location; some 911 calls go to a county wide dispatch center. Inform the operator of the city and your exact location, “I am at ABC School District, 123 Main Street, City Name Illinois and there is an active

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

If you hear gunshots (or what you perceive to be gunshots) and cannot get out of the building, it is time to lockdown and barricade. Simply hiding under a table or desk with no barricade between you and the shooter will not protect you. When no other alternative is available, if you can not create distance, lockdown, barricade or get out of a secondary exit, find a distraction object to throw at the shooter and create a plan in case the shooter finds you.

Plan to throw objects at the shooter’s face and eyes; when they flinch it is time to act. Initiate your plan which could be to create more distance, get to a lockable space, create 90 degree angles or engage/attack the shooter.

Immediately lock and barricade the door. Use large, heavy, moveable objects to barricade the door. Tables, desks, filing cabinets, chairs and other objects can be used to block entry into the room. These objects should also be used to block the door window so the shooter cannot easily see into the room.

Turn off the lights and silence all cell phones.

The noise or illumination emitted from a cell phone may tip off the shooter of your location.

ARTICLE / Active Shooter Scenarios

Always spread out throughout the room. Do not huddle together as that creates an easy target for the shooter.

Keep calm and quiet in the room. Make it appear that no one is home.

Look for a secondary exit to get out of your location. Once your lockdown and barricading is complete, look for a secondary exit to get out of your location if necessary. Break a window and evacuate if you are able.

Never stand in the “fatal funnel.” History indicates that shooters do not spend a great deal of time trying to breach a door unless they have a specific target in mind.

Shooters understand they are on the clock, knowing that law enforcement will respond soon. They may attempt to enter the room for a few seconds, but if their efforts are unsuccessful they may fire a few rounds through the door hoping to strike someone on the other side. They will then move on and look for easier targets. Instruct everyone to never stand in front of Avoid the “fatal funnel.” the door.

FIGHT

Engage the shooter if running and hiding are not options.

Find anything to use as a weapon – a stapler, the fire extinguisher, your laptop computer, your forearm/ elbow, etc.

Attack “Trauma Susceptible Targets.” This includes the eyes, all sides of the neck, the clavicle, the solar plexus, the groin, ankles and knees. Identify your target and drive through with your weapon

If possible, attack with numbers. If you have no other options, attack the shooter as a group. If even one person attacks the shooter, validate their decision and help them.

TEAM TACTICS (GANG-FU) If you are using team tactics to attack the shooter, the first person should attempt to control the weapon/arm to get the weapon pointed in a safe direction. The second person should then attack “Trauma Susceptible Targets” with a planned or improvised weapon or their forearm/elbow.

Repeatedly strike through the target until the shooter is completely disabled.

When the weapon is disengaged from the shooter, move it as far away from the shooter as possible. Do NOT have the weapon in your hands as you exit the building or when law enforcement enters the building.

Remember, law enforcement does not know who or where the shooter is located and having a weapon in your hands could lead to deadly consequences.

When law enforcement enters the area, listen and strictly follow their commands. Always keep your hands above your head unless you are containing the gunman. Always allow law enforcement to take command of the situation.

BE PREPARED Remember, you can survive an active shooter incident. Have a district-wide plan for staff to follow in case there is an active shooter situation and make sure all staff members receive training in how to handle active shooter situations. The best response plans are those that allow you to switch and move between response alternatives as the context of the incident evolves and changes.

Be sure to trust your instincts and intuition.

We get in trouble when we ignore what our gut is telling us.

BUSINESS PARTNERS / Sponsored Programs

COMPREHENSIVE BENEFITS FOR SCHOOLS Illinois School Employee Benefits Consortium (ISEBC) Serving Districts Statewide Three years ago, when the leadership at American Central Insurance Services saw the ACA issues that schools would soon be facing, the idea of the ISEBC was born. They set out to build a comprehensive health insurance program that could provide member schools districts with employee health benefits at affordable premiums. As they began to build, the same key questions kept arising: How do we control our cost? How do we stay compliant? How do we maintain quality benefits?

The ISEBC has brought member school districts together and given them greater purchasing power and more stability in premium increases. This used to only be available to the largest employers, but is now available to all. As the program continues to grow, the ISEBC has added and developed necessary services to the program such as: • ACA reporting and filing • Variable hour employee tracking

• Affordability testing • Online enrollment

• Free HR consulting • Customizable benefit designs

After a year of planning and development, the ISEBC partnered with Illinois ASBO, IASA and IASB to deliver solutions to Illinois schools. The co-development process with these partners ensures that the ISEBC continues to focus on what is relevant in the Illinois school benefit industry. With this approach, schools across Illinois will be able to take advantage of this very important program for years to come.

Metropolitan School Employee Benefits Program (MSEBP) Meeting the Unique Needs of Metropolitan Districts Recognizing that school districts in the Chicago metropolitan area have a unique set of needs and challenges, Illinois ASBO, IASB and IASA soon began the process of seeking out a provider to offer employee benefits specific to those districts. Through a new partnership with Alliant/Mesirow Insurance Services, a program was conceived to service school districts in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.

MSEBP’s focus is on enhancing districts' benefits plans and streamlining administration through technology. Services offered include: • Evaluation of current benefits programs • An online bidding and contract management system • An integrated HR management system

• Compliance solutions • An online benefits enrollment platform • Wellness program evaluation and needs analysis

Through solid partnerships between ISEBC and MSEBP benefits providers as well as IASB, IASA and Illinois ASBO, districts now have the opportunity reduce the cost of one of the largest expenses within the district so that funds can go toward better serving students.

Get more information on these Illinois ASBO sponsored programs at: www.iasbo.tools/sponsoredprograms

PERSPECTIVE / On the Profession

SCHOOL BUSINESS 101 How are you tapping your tort resources? How is it appropriate to use them? there are restrictions and often "tax objections" to this fund, we are very careful “ Since to not over levy or use the funds in a manner that causes a reason for an objection. We utilize our funds for workers' compensation and liability insurance so that we do not lose them. I think a lot of districts do it this way because it has less risk than putting the funds into salaries where they could be denied/taken back through a tax objection.”

BARRY BOLEK Asst. Supt./Finance, CSBO, Twp. HSD 113

always align it to our risk management plan. We primarily use tort funds for necessary “ We services and equipment to keep us safe — insurance and things to protect students such as alarm systems. We do not have any cameras or anything high tech in that area. In the past, the district has also used it for a percentage of salaries, such as the nurse.”

DAVID CHAVIRA Superintendent, East Coloma-Nelson CESD 20

use the tort fund for most everything that we legally can. We use it for liability “ We insurance, workers’ compensation insurance and unemployment insurance. Police security at the schools and asbestos abatement are also paid from there. Litigation settlements may also be paid from the tort fund. We did not know that before, and used the education fund or the building fund for some of these expenditures, but once we realized that we could use tort funds for all those purposes, it freed up budget money from the other funds. Using tort funds, legally, has helped us maintain some of our other funds under the tax cap.”

CHARLES D. DIMARTINO Dir./Finance, Thornton Fractional Twp. HSD 215 the 2004-05 school year, tax caps had eroded our tax rate to the point that the “ By district was unable to continue levying for tort. The funds had been put toward liability and worker compensation insurance premiums exclusively and were expended the following year. Having heard and read some horror stories regarding inappropriate use of funds, a conscious decision was made to keep everything very, very transparent.”

BRETT HRUBY Chief School Business Official, Kinnikinnick CCSD 131

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

By Amy Campbell

ARTICLE

It Takes a

SAFETY & SECURITY SUPERVISOR GENEVA CUSD 304

Village Teaming with SROs and Local Municipalities for School Safety When I started my career as a police officer at the Geneva Police Department almost 20 years ago, little did I know where I would end up today. I did not know if police work was my passion, especially in my role as a patrol officer.

When an opportunity came to be the next School Resource Officer (SRO) at Geneva High School, I knew I had found an opportunity to really make a difference.

Fast-forward six years, Geneva CUSD 304 applied for and received the Readiness Emergency Management for Schools federal grant. The grant required a coordinator to run all of the activities of the grant, so it only made sense for me to take a leap of faith and transition from the police department to becoming a full-time employee within the school district.

The grant required, among other things, participation and collaboration between the school district, first responder agencies and other community partners. We made great strides during our grant period and we continue to move ahead each and every day.

Keys to Collaboration Now in my sixth year as the Safety and Security Supervisor for Geneva CUSD 304, I have learned how to work intricately and seamlessly with our partners to help keep our schools safe. Some keys to this collaborative effort include: • Establishing Trust • Getting on the Same Page • Training Together (Including Partners, Students and Staff) • Assessing Your Vulnerabilities

ESTABLISHING TRUST Trust is huge when it comes to working with first responders. It is built over time and is earned. I was fortunate in my transition that I had excellent relationships and a solid foundation of trust in hand when I left the police department. However, continued collaboration was key in

keeping the trust alive. In my position, I constantly interact with the SRO who is positioned at the high school and I have constant communication with many other individuals at the police department and fire department, both in the city and the county.

GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE When I talk about my district and how the interoperations work regarding communication, people look at me incredulously. Having a designated person in a position that first responders know, trust and can reach 24/7 is key. As that person, I can then make proper notifications to others such as the superintendent, building administrator, etc.

Sharing volatile information and being on the same page is invaluable. So, how can you do this?

Utilize their expertise in the planning process. To begin, it is imperative to understand and frame your emergency operations plans around the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS).

Nobody understands NIMS and ICS better than your fire and police departments. Utilize their expertise to help your district incorporate the processes into your drills and tabletops.

Invite your partners to co-present with you on safety and security. I often present at faculty meetings on topics that include visitor management, behavioral threat assessment, access control, verbal de-escalation, emergency responses such as bomb threat, active shooter, tornado response, etc. It is powerful to have our local partners there to add their perspective: • I present on the district’s policy and procedures and why it is important that our plan is quickly enacted.

• Our partners are there to talk about their response, what their expectations are and the unique expertise they have.

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Providing a united front builds mutual trust and empowers faculty and staff to take the lead and do the right thing during very trying times.

TRAINING TOGETHER These are two recent examples that demonstrate the collaboration and partnership between our schools and community partners.

Summer Training — This past summer, our district staff had the opportunity to go to the FEMA training center in Maryland for a fourday Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools training session. We brought thirteen team members that included every level of school staff along with local police and fire officials. Our team spent a great deal of time evaluating, training and exercising our district’s current emergency plan.

Everyone contributed their knowledge and expertise based on their roles and the training helped our team identify gaps and improve our plan.

UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

When thinking about vulnerabilities, schools often limit their thought process to their buildings. That is a great start, however, you must also look at your city and county as a whole. You may feel overwhelmed or not know where to start or how to gather this information. Again, it all goes back to the relationships and collaboration that you have built with your partners.

Trust, Collaborate, Train and Assess.

Fostering these crucial elements will help keep your district safe.

A Full Scale Drill — In the spring of 2013, we conducted a district wide, full-scale drill. The scenario was a mock explosion of a boiler at one of our middle schools that required a campus evacuation and relocation to their parent reunification site. The drill provided an opportunity to test our newly instituted parent reunification procedures. It included first responders, hospitals, dispatch, local media and transportation. This was a pivotal moment in our district and changed the thought pattern for many. I highly recommend that other districts take on this challenge.

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ASSESSING YOUR VULNERABILITIES

Bring everyone to the table — your county emergency manager, your city officials, your fire and police officials, etc. They conduct risk and hazard assessments for the city and the county does the same.

They will have a plethora of information that will be valuable to you when making an all hazards emergency operations plan for your district.

Invite your police and fire partners into your buildings when you conduct security assessments. Police often see things from a different point of view than school officials and they might point out vulnerabilities that have not yet been identified. Another advantage to this is that they become more familiar with your building layout.

Foster relationships with first responders by opening up your school buildings during breaks so that they can train. This not only helps them, but it also provides a better understanding of your layout and the functionality of your building.

ARTICLE / Teaming Up for School Safety

While enacting this step, Geneva CUSD 304 identified that police officials were at a disadvantage when responding to an emergency because the schools are secure at all times.

Their tactical advantage was potentially hindered because no one is able to open the door for them or because they may not want anybody to know where they are entering the building. We decided to work with our law enforcement agencies to install Police Knox Boxes similar to what the fire department uses. Statistically speaking, there are more violent situations occurring in schools today than there are fires. Why would we not provide the same rapid entry storage device to our police as we do for our fireman?

Join forces on a behavioral threat assessment. This is another vulnerable area that is imperative for schools and first responders to work on together. We must work together as a team with open lines of communication, understanding that our goal is the same—to keep everyone safe.

Threats are not just made during normal school hours, Monday through Friday. They occur at all times of the day and night. Providing a variety of mechanisms for individuals to report threats is essential. Our district has a telephone tip line and online tip form that allows anyone to easily report an incident. Once reported, the appropriate individuals and/or agencies are notified and our threat assessment procedures go into effect.

This kind of immediacy requires the sharing of phone numbers with one another, not only internally at the school level, but also with our police and fire partners. Again, without trust those cell phone numbers would not be shared. In a typical scenario without those relationships, you would have to call the department and wait for someone to call you back. Depending on the incident, that instant direct phone call can be a game changer.

I cannot emphasize how important trust is and how this helps to keep our school district safe.

It Takes a Village Our district is constantly assessing best practices when implementing goals and procedures to keep our students and faculty safe.

This does not happen in isolation. It is a community effort that pulls in local officials, school staff, parents, students and many others. To be successful in this effort, you must: • Educate your staff and students on what they can do to mitigate and prevent bad things from occurring.

• Prepare students, staff and administration to respond to an incident, not only physically, but also mentally.

• Understand your district and building’s response to an event.

• Trust your relationships with your first responders and be confident that they are well-trained and ready to respond and help you.

• Trust in your own response and feel empowered to make decisions and be confident that you will take appropriate action and enact your plan.

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STAYIN

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

By Ronald Ellis

ARTICLE

VICE PRESIDENT ELLIS AND ELLIS CONSULTING, LLC

Sandra Ellis, Ph.D. PRESIDENT ELLIS AND ELLIS CONSULTING, LLC

NG VIGILANT

TO KEEP YOUR DISTRICT SAFE

We do not like to think about the unthinkable — that our children would be endangered at school or while traveling to and from school. Schools should be safe places for teaching and learning. However, threats to safety, emergencies or disasters can occur suddenly and often without warning.

Educational personnel are responsible for safeguarding our children and ensuring a safe school and workplace. Staying vigilant starts with giving all school-based employees the opportunity to learn and understand their role in school safety and emergency response.

School personnel have a lot on their plates when it comes to safety and emergency management. They must act to save lives, ensure student safety and accountability, effectively manage the incident until professional emergency responders arrive and work collaboratively with responders until the incident is resolved. Afterwards, administrators must work with faculty, staff and students through the recovery period, while acknowledging the psychological trauma that accompanies critical incidents.

SEEING THE LIGHT School safety and security embodies both mantra and mandate. Talking the talk verses walking the talk bridges legal compliance with drill and practice. How can we embrace this educational responsibility? How do we internalize best practices in keeping students, faculty, staff and visitors safe while providing quality teaching and learning?

The key resides with educational leaders, who must provide professional development and training for all faculty and staff.

This leads to safe outcomes in emergencies by ensuring an effective response (versus reaction) to situations of concern.

Every district must enact appropriate, skill-specific and legally defensible training for designated school employees including administrators, faculty and support staff.

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CREATING A CLIMATE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY A school climate of safety and security is both a preventive and protective measure. In order for teaching and learning to be effective, students and staff must feel safe and secure. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a positive school climate enhances safety by reducing various forms of harm to students that can stem from a negative school climate including violence, bullying, cyberbullying and even suicide.1 Promoting a climate of school safety and security can include: • Training students, faculty and staff to recognize potential threats.

• Reporting safety and security concerns.

• Forming a multi-disciplinary behavioral threat assessment team to assess whether a student exhibiting concerning behaviors poses a threat of harm to self or others. If so, providing appropriate interventions and case management.2 Research on school attacks has shown that acts of targeted violence, whether at school or in the workplace, are rarely impulsive. Instead, they typically follow a pathway to violence, which progresses from ideation, to planning, acquisition and implementation. This creates opportunities to observe behavioral progression and leakage of information about the person’s thoughts and plans for violence before harm occurs. Students who have carried out such attacks often have troubled, disturbed or seriously concerned multiple people in their lives prior to the attack.3 One of the biggest challenges for any threat assessment team is ensuring they receive reports of threats, other troubling and aberrant behavior or potentially violent behavior in a timely manner. The key to a positive school climate is engaging students in developing strong relationships with staff and peers, increasing the likelihood that students will quickly report potential threats to trusted adults within the school.1

SCHOOL STAFF AS FIRST RESPONDERS Sometimes in catastrophic community-wide disasters, emergency responders may not be able to get to the school quickly. In such circumstances, school staff are indeed first responders and must act to save lives and move students and others to safety. During an incident, life safety is the number one priority.

Trained to Take Command In any critical incident, it is important that someone step forward and assume command. In most instances, the building principal will assume the role of school commander. However, any school employee may suddenly be tasked with assuming command and control while implementing emergency response procedures.

For example, a teacher on a field trip or a custodian at an after hours school event may need to take charge to save lives or lead others to safety.

It is a best practice to train all employees, empowering them to activate the School Emergency and Crisis Response Plan in order to save lives and property.

When observing danger, employees must alert others and implement appropriate response protocols for personal life, health and safety.

“In Loco Parentis” Educational personnel are considered “in loco parentis” by Illinois School Code and are charged with keeping students safe while in their care. Sending children inappropriately into harm's way, be it the threat of an active shooter, fire hazard or other unsafe circumstance creates vicarious liability for the employee as well as the school district.

BEFORE HELP ARRIVES Often, schools need to be self-sustaining until help arrives. School staff must carry out whatever actions are necessary to: • Account for everyone • Provide first aid/triage • Conduct search and rescue

• Organize student/parent reunification • Ensure site security • Establish shelter services

• Provide psychological first aid and crisis counseling

ARTICLE / Emergency Response

WHY SAFETY DRILLS ALONE ARE NOT ENOUGH Illinois’ mandatory safety drills include evacuation, reverse evacuation, shelter-in-place and lockdown. Immediate action steps for such drills are often posted on flip charts in the classroom or listed on staff lanyards for quick reference.

These drills typically: • Are designed as initial response actions intended to move students and staff away from danger.

• Only cover the first 15 minutes of an incident.

• Are universally applicable for a wide-variety of emergencies.

For example, if it is safer outside than inside, regardless of the threat or hazard, the order is given to evacuate. If it is safer inside than outside, staff will want to move everyone indoors to shelter-in-place.

These drills leave many knowledge gaps. For example, if the threat is imminent and inside the school, such as an active shooter or armed intruder, lockdown is the safest option, but not the only option! Persons near the gunman should evacuate or run. After the initial response, then what?

All-Hazard Training is Essential Faculty, staff and administration need to know and recognize how response protocols vary depending on the type of incident, threat or hazard. Response actions for a hazardous material release indoors or outdoors require a set of specific procedures that are not the same as for an active shooter or fire at school.

Learning from Recent Tragedies Emergencies come in all shapes and sizes. The recent Chattanooga school bus crash claimed the lives of six innocent children and injured dozens more. The crash traumatized not only the children, but also the parents, school officials, residents near the scene, first responders and the community.

Training is essential to ensure school personnel are prepared to effectively respond to a wide-variety of incidents such as an active shooter, bomb threats, fire, severe weather, utility failure, hazardous chemical spill, earthquake or structural failure.

Then there is the ever-present threat of severe weather.

Remember the deadly tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma in 2013, which destroyed schools and took several students’ lives? Or the sudden winter storm that blanketed southern states in 2014? The freezing rain and snow forced thousands of students to spend the night in various school buildings. In the Atlanta suburbs, students were stuck on school buses for hours while others had to stay overnight at schools until roads were cleared for their parents to pick them up.

All employees, regardless of title or contractual status, need to participate in training and exercises for all high priority threats and hazards identified in their school’s emergency and crisis response plan. Local emergency response agencies will assist schools with proper identification of high probability threats and hazards for their specific geographic location. They can also assist in updating school plans on an annual basis.

Other emergencies have occurred at school sports games when bleachers collapsed injuring dozens of spectators and students. In all of these incidents, school employees responded effectively based on their training and the response protocols outlined in their school emergency plan.

TRAINED TO RESPOND Individual schools can increase their capacity to respond to threats and emergencies effectively by: • Providing training and exercises to enhance employees’ ability to perform critical tasks in their school emergency and crisis response plan.

• Providing periodic training and exercises to refresh learning and ensure skill sets do not erode.

This training can be provided through a variety of modes and methods including staff briefings, orientation, seminars, workshops, drills, tabletop and full-scale exercises. For a list of additional training opportunities for school staff, visit the Resources Section on page 44. www.iasbo.org

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CHARTING YOUR INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM State law and federal OSHA regulations require schools to respond to critical incidents using the same Incident Command System (ICS) used by first responder agencies.

This allows for integration and transfer of command once help arrives on scene.

The Illinois School Safety Drill Act (105 ILCS 128/40) and Joint Administrative Rules of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Office of State Fire Marshall require all public and non-public schools in the State of Illinois to: • Conduct specific emergency drills.

• Develop an Emergency and Crisis Response Plan.

• Form school-based critical incident response teams modeled on the federal National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS).

ICS is an all-hazard on-scene incident management concept that allows users to adopt an integrated organizational structure to match the complexities and demands of single or multiple incidents.4

To help districts understand how ICS applies to schools, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed ICS training specific to schools entitled, “IS100SCa: Introduction to Incident Command for Schools.”

The curriculum provides a basic understanding of: • The Incident Command System.

• Its application to school incidents.

• How the school emergency management team will integrate with first responders when they arrive on scene.

Ideally all school administrators, faculty and support staff should complete IS-100SCa. Other free FEMA online ICS training provides advanced preparedness courses for school staff who will work with local emergency management agencies, law enforcement and fire services to develop and exercise the school emergency plan.

To learn about training opportunities provided by FEMA for emergency management, visit: https://training.fema.gov/nims

Primary Staff Roles The basic ICS organizational chart identifies the primary positions necessary for command, control and coordination of an incident. Selected staff members who make up the formal school ICS Critical Incident Response Team must be trained to fulfill job responsibilities.

INCIDENT COMMAND General Staff:

Command Staff: Provides information, safety and liaison services for the entire organization.

Assigned functional authority for operations, planning, logistics and finance/administration.

Public Information Officer

Operations Section

Safety Officer

Planning Section

Liaison Officer

Logistics Section Finance/Administration Section

Forming Strike Teams The ICS structure recognizes there may be a need to assign staff to special response resources called “Strike Teams.” The Strike Team may be a single person, like a school nurse on the First Aid Team, or a group of staff trained in light search and rescue. Unfortunately, FEMA only provides training for Strike Team leaders and not coursework focused on the special skills and responsibilities for members of the Strike Team.

SPECIALTY STRIKE TEAMS BY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OPERATIONS SECTION CHIEF First Aid Team

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Search & Rescue Team

Crisis Intervention Team

UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

Evacuation/Shelter/Care Team

Student Release Team

Facilities/Security Response Team

ARTICLE / Emergency Response

A SHINING EXAMPLE OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS One school district stands out in their commitment to developing preparedness capacity, effective emergency response/management and resilient recovery. Batavia PSD 101 decided to expand their school ICS structure to include Strike Teams with the help of Ellis and Ellis Consulting LLC. They met with school officials and local first responders to identify skillspecific training for each of the Strike Team members at individual schools within the district.

From there, they developed a multi-year staff training and exercise plan identifying priorities, team member training requirements and increasingly complex exercises to build on prior training. In addition to the basic ICS training, they provided staff with role-specific training and exercises. Examples include: • First Aid Team: Triage/mass casualty, • Crisis Intervention Team: Disaster treating life-threatening conditions, psychology, school psychological first aid, providing basic first aid, conducting patient grief counseling, de-escalation techniques assessment and psychological and critical incident stress debriefing. first aid.

• Facilities & Security Team: Bomb threat • Light Search and Rescue Team: Light response, improvised explosive device search and rescue techniques, conducting recognition, building common areas, interior/exterior search operations, victim classroom and grounds search techniques, removal and extrication, fire suppression maintaining facility security in a crisis, using fire extinguishers or interior wet conducting perimeter control and check standpipes and identifying and marking points and operating utilities shut-offs. unsafe areas.

• Student Release/Family Reunification • Evacuation/Shelter Care Team: Student Team: Managing a secure student/family accountability, establishing secure reunification site, coordination of student assembly areas, coordinating off-campus release and managing difficult parents. evacuation and managing a shelter facility.

FOOTNOTES: 1. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Safe and Healthy Students, Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans, Washington, DC, 2013.

2. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute, Multihazard Emergency Planning for Schools (G364), Emmitsburg, MD., November 2013.

3. Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute at Western Illinois University, Illinois School and Campus Safety Training Program, Student Behavioral Threat Assessment, April, 2016.

4. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute, Introduction to Incident Command for Schools (IS100SCa), Emmitsburg, MD, October 2013.

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Is Your District Prepared for a

Cyber-Attack?

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

By Keith A. Bockwoldt, CETL

ARTICLE

DIR./TECHNOLOGY TOWNSHIP HSD 214

It seems that almost every week you hear another story about a cyber-attack,

website hacking, phishing scam, ransomware or someone’s credit card numbers being stolen. As school districts become more reliant on technology to deliver curriculum and manage the day-to-day operations of the district, planning and budgets must reflect the need to secure digital assets in order to protect their data. Additionally, with increased media coverage of businesses, government agencies and educational institutions having personal information compromised, there is more community awareness of the potential threat facing school districts. There are several best practices that can be put in place to protect school districts from cyber-attacks.

What Threats Are Out There?

In October, Dyn, a cloud-based internet performance management company, experienced a sophisticated distributed denial of service attack (DDoS). The attack against Dyn took down many websites including Twitter, Spotify, Ebay, Netflix and Etsy among others. A DDoS attack works by sending so many requests to a website that it goes down or becomes incredibly slow.

DDos Attacks School districts have been targeted frequently with DDoS attacks. In certain cases, even students have compromised the digital security of schools. In several school systems, students paid an Internet-based company to attack the district’s information network, which resulted in intermittent access to all information systems for more than a month until the students were caught. Unscrupulous Internet companies charge a small fee, as little as $20, to attack a school district’s information network, including student information, finance or learning management systems. Many internet service Providers (ISPs) now offer proactive Threat Mitigation Services and prevent DDoS type traffic. The traffic is stopped at the ISP before it gets to your district. However, these offerings come with a hefty price. Some services cost anywhere from $100k to $300k per year. This may be due in part to the increased demand. School districts simply cannot afford this. Ask your ISP about these types of services with pricing for education. ISPs are willing to work with school districts on reasonably priced plans.

Phishing Scams School districts have also been the target of sophisticated phishing scams where the goal of the perpetrator is to gain access to employees’ W2 or payroll information.

Phishing emails aim to obtain your secure information, passwords or account numbers. These emails use deception to trick you, like forging the sender’s address or using real logos to appear legitimate. Often, they ask for you to reply, open an attachment or click on a web link — all to steal personal information.

There are a couple of things that can be done to prevent phishing scams. First and foremost, a security awareness program should be developed. A security awareness program will help staff understand how to identify a phishing scam and how to handle one. There should also be a place for staff to report a phishing scam. You can also test your staffs’ awareness by using a phishing simulator

by Security IQ. Secondly, there are ways to prevent spoofed emails, which is one of the main sources of phishing scams. Check with your technology department to determine if they have the three specific domain name system (DNS) records in place to prevent spoofed emails: sender policy framework, domain keys identified mail and domain-based message authentication and reporting conformance.

Ransomware According to the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), ransomware is becoming an increasingly popular way for cyber criminals to extort money from companies, school districts and individuals alike. It exploits systems and user vulnerabilities to hijack your computer or files for ransom. It does not steal your data, but instead, locks your data through unbreakable encryption until a ransom is paid. CoSN advises that the single most important action you can take to deal with ransomware effectively is to back up your data. The ability to recover your locked files could possibly be the only option you have. Make sure that you have a verifiable and diversified backup plan. Verify your backups and ensure that there is no single point of failure with your backup process.

Having your human resources, SIS or financial data locked can lead to a catastrophic situation for the whole organization. It is recommended that you back up these files to an offsite location or on the cloud away from the main systems.

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Be Prepared CoSN has a security planning rubric that can help you assess your current degree of security preparedness.

Once the assessment is completed, your district can develop a plan to address each primary area of the rubric. Also, consider purchasing cyber liability insurance for your district. Cyber liability insurance policies are intended to cover a variety of losses that may result from a data breach in which personal or district information is exposed or stolen.

What would you do in the event that your district’s data was compromised from a cyber-attack? An incident response plan should be developed and identified in the information security policy. The purpose of an incident response plan is to document your district’s procedures for reporting and responding to losses of data and personally identifiable information. If you experience an event that causes the compromise of data, being prepared can save your district a lot of time and headaches.

As school districts become more reliant on technology to deliver curriculum and manage the day-to-day operations of the district, planning and budgets must reflect the need to secure digital assets in order to protect their data.

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

Key Elements of an Information Security Policy Check with your technology department to determine if they have an information security plan in place and make sure it is reviewed each year. An information security plan is the foundation on which to establish good security practices. According to the Infosec Institute, these are the key elements of an information security policy:

1. Define the Policy’s Purpose.

• Establish a general approach to information security.

• Detect and prevent the compromise of information such as misuse of data, networks, computer systems and applications.

• Protect the reputation of the school district with respect to its ethical and legal responsibilities.

2. Determine the Scope.

This section should address all data, applications, systems, facilities, technology infrastructure, users of technology and third parties in a given organization, without exception.

3. Form Information Security Objectives.

An organization that strives to compose a working information security policy needs to have well-defined objectives concerning security and a strategy on which the administration has reached an agreement.

ARTICLE / Cyber Stuff Security

4. Include an Authority & Access Control Policy.

6. Perform Regular Data Support & Operations.

Typically, a security policy has a hierarchical design.

It means that staff are usually bound not to share the information they work with daily unless explicitly authorized.

Conversely, an administrator may have enough authority to make a decision on what data can be shared and with whom. The information security policy should address every basic position in the organization with specifications that will clarify their authoritative status.

• Regulate the general system mechanisms responsible for data protection, i.e. firewalls, system patches, virus protection and encryption of data.

• Create data backup plans.

• Monitor how movement of data is handled.

5. Create a System for Classification of Data.

Data can have different values. Therefore, an information classification system should pay attention to protection of data that has significant importance for the organization and leave out insignificant information that would otherwise overburden the organization’s resources. Data classification would look something like this: • High Risk – Data protected by state and federal legislation (the Data Protection Act, HIPAA, FERPA) as well as financial, payroll and personnel (privacy requirements) are included here.

• Confidential – The data in this class does not enjoy the privilege of being under the auspices of law, but the data owner decides if it should be protected against unauthorized disclosure.

• Public – This information can be freely distributed.

7. Spread Security Awareness.

Sharing IT security policies with staff is a critical step.

Training sessions will engage employees in a positive dialogue about information security, which will ensure they get an idea of the procedures and mechanisms in place to protect the data.

8. Establish Responsibilities, Rights & Duties of Personnel.

General considerations lean towards responsibility of persons appointed to carry out the implementation, education, incident response, user access reviews and periodic updates of the information security policy.

9. Reference Relevant Legislation.

This section of the policy would include a list of legislation to be followed to protect data, i.e. HIPPA, FERPA and PPRA.

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BUYER BEWARE Construction Project and Contract Pitfalls

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UPDATE Magazine / Spring 2017

ARTICLE

By Kenneth M. Florey PARTNER ROBBINS, SCHWATRZ, NICHOLAS, LIFTON & TAYLOR, LTD.

Nicole Karas SENIOR COUNSEL ROBBINS, SCHWARTZ, NICHOLAS, LIFTON & TAYLOR, LTD.

Whether your district is constructing a new facility, renovating an existing one or repairing another property, you should be aware of common construction contract pitfalls and challenges before starting your project. Although projects differ in size and complexity, all projects require your district to select a construction delivery method, understand the risk allocation associated with each method and understand how to minimize your school’s exposure to other risks.

CHOOSING THE BEST DELIVERY METHOD Before starting any project, you must first decide which construction delivery method to use, or in other words, who will be on your project team. For smaller, more routine projects, a school district may not work with an architect but instead handle the bidding (if required) and project management on its own. For any school district, and particularly for rookie school officials, choosing the delivery method for a new project can be an overwhelming and confusing task. The school’s understanding of delivery method options and how each method works is extremely important. However, each method creates a different contractual relationship.

Selection of the project delivery method is primarily controlled by your specific project requirements. Factors such as the size and complexity of the project, the project’s schedule, the school’s budget for the project and the experience of school staff to manage the project are all factors to consider in selection of the delivery method.

There are three construction delivery methods for a district working with an architect to consider: • Design-Bid-Build (General Contractor) • Construction Manager as Adviser (CMa) • Construction Manager at Risk (CMc)

KNOW WHO HOLDS THE RISK Due to the significant risks associated with a construction project, careful attention must be given to how risk is allocated among the various team players on your project.

As a preliminary note, risk allocation initially depends on the delivery method selected. For example, in a design-bid-build project delivery method, the architect or engineer is responsible for the design of the project and the contractor is responsible for the construction.

Any “gaps” in the performance of the architect, engineer or contractor’s services becomes the school district’s responsibility unless otherwise provided for in the contract documents. Additionally, if the school district hires a construction manager as advisor (CMa), some risk associated with the “gaps” that exist with the design-bidbuild method may be “shifted” to the CMa, such as risks associated with the constructability of the design prepared by the architect or engineer.

A Construction Manager at Risk (CMc) takes on additional risk during the construction of a project compared to a CMa. Although the school district may pay for some of this through the CMc’s fee, the school district remains liable for such risks in a CMa delivery method.

Although the delivery method selected will affect how risk is allocated, a significant portion of the risk allocation is controlled through effective negotiation and contract preparation. The contract documents must be drafted clearly in order to minimize any gaps or overlaps in responsibility. As part of this process, each contract must be coordinated and reviewed against each other to ensure consistency. If, for example, the contract documents provide that the contractor will furnish limited engineering services that the architect is entitled to rely upon, both the architect and contractor’s contract must reflect this and appropriately allocate the risk associated with the same.

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three construction delivery methods DESIGN-BID-BUILD

(GENERAL CONTRACTOR) The design-bid-build method has three phases: 1) design of the project; 2) bid of the project; and 3) construction of the project. This method involves a school district, as the owner, entering into two different contracts – one with an architect or engineer and one with a general contractor.

In the first phase, the school district contracts with an architect or engineer to design the project. The selection of the architect or engineer is made in compliance with the Local Government Professional Service Selection Act (50 ILCS 510/0.01 et seq.) The architect or engineer’s basic services for the project may differ from project to project, but generally include development of the school’s objectives, preparation of drawings and specifications to construct the project, cost estimation, administration of the bidding process and construction administration.

The second phase requires the school district to bid the project (or obtain proposals if under the bidding threshold amount) in compliance with applicable bidding statutes and school board policy. The district then enters into a contract with the lowest, responsive and responsible bidder to construct the project. In general, the contractor’s duties are to provide shop drawings and submittals, perform the work in compliance with the drawings and specifications prepared by the architect or engineer and provide warranty coverage.

This project delivery method works better for projects that are smaller in scope and less complex or for school districts with staff inexperienced in construction administration.

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CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AS ADVISER

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK

The school may decide to hire a construction manager for the project.

Whether a construction manager is hired as an “adviser” or “at risk,” the selection of the construction manager is exempt from bidding as a professional service and is not subject to the Local Government Professional Service Selection Act. The district may select a construction manager through a Request for Proposal process or as otherwise required by school board policy.

This project delivery method requires the school district to enter into at least two contracts – one with the architect or engineer and one with the construction manager at risk (CMc). Like the CMa, the CMc provides construction advice to the school district during the design phase of the project. Unlike the CMa, the CMc, after the bids are awarded, becomes the general contractor for the project and, as a result, either the school district contracts with the trade contractor(s) directly or the CMc “holds” all of the trade contracts after the school district assigns the trade contracts to the CMc. Consequently, these trade contractors then become subcontractors to the CMc.

(CMa)

If a construction manager is hired as an adviser (CMa), the school district enters into three categories of contracts – one with the architect or engineer, one with the CMa and one with the contractors who are referred to as trade contractors based on the area of expertise, excavation, carpentry, electrical, etc. The CMa reviews the design of the project as prepared by the architect or engineer to determine the constructability of the project, provides detail cost estimation, bid administration, project administration as an “adviser” to the school district and advises the school district regarding the scheduling and coordination of the trades. The CMa is not responsible for construction or any defects in the work, has limited liability for delays and is typically paid a fee, which is either a fixed lump sum or an hourly fee, plus general conditions costs and reimbursable expenses.

This project delivery method is generally better for projects that are larger in complexity and scope and is for school districts that require an adviser to help manage the project.

(CMc)

The CMc reviews the design of the project as prepared by the architect or engineer to determine the constructability of the project, provides detailed cost estimation, bid administration and project administration as the general contractor. The CMc has total responsibility to coordinate and schedule the trades, assumes the risk of cost overruns and any defects in the work. The CMc assumes the risk for most delays and is typically paid a fee, which is either a fixed lump sum or a guaranteed maximum price, plus general conditions costs and reimbursable expenses. The concept of a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) sounds great but typically, due to the CMc’s contract requirements connected with the GMP, is not good for the school district.

This project delivery method is generally better for projects that are large in complexity and scope, involve multiple trades or for school districts without staff experienced in construction administration.

ARTICLE / Contract Pitfalls

MAKING INSURANCE CONSIDERATIONS Another way to minimize the school’s liability is through insurance coverage. Before commencing a construction project, the school’s current coverage for a construction project should be reviewed. Districts often only have policies that cover their interest in the construction improvements, while the contract requires the school to purchase a “builder’s risk policy” to cover the architect or engineer, construction manager or the contractor’s interests in the project. A builder’s risk policy generally covers any damage to the construction improvements, including materials stored off site and in transit. If any damage occurs to the work, the parties covered by the builder’s risk policy each have an insurable interest and cannot sue each other for any injury resulting from the damage.

The school can either purchase a builder’s risk policy on its own or, if more cost effective, either the construction manager or the contractor may purchase the policy on behalf of all parties. Since builder’s risk policies differ, the school should review the policy to ensure that the construction work, and any materials stored offsite or in transit, are actually covered by the policy and that the duration of the policy extends until the completion of the project, as defined by the contract documents.

In addition to a builder’s risk policy, the district should require commercial general liability, automobile liability and workers' compensation/employers liability coverages in all contracts with contractors, construction managers and engineers. The school should also require that all subcontractors and sub-consultants hired for the work maintain the same insurance types and amounts in all contracts. The commercial general liability policy will cover all damage or injury caused by the contractor’s negligence. The school board, its officers, employees and agents should be named as additional insureds under all commercial general liability, automobile liability and umbrella policies. The school should also require the architect or engineer and CMa hired for a project to provide, along with any sub-consultants hired to perform services for the project, professional liability insurance to cover errors and omissions in the performance of their services.

Critically, the school district must verify the validity of the project Certificates of Insurance to make sure the Certificates are valid, the coverages are correct, any required endorsements are satisfied and the indemnification language is accurate.

CONSIDER EVERY FACTOR No matter the size of a construction project, your school must consider many factors, starting with the project delivery format best suited for the school’s project requirements. Contract negotiation throughout this process can be difficult and careful attention must be given to protect the district’s interest in each contract, including the allocation of risk and properly insuring the district’s interest in the project. There are several construction project pitfalls to avoid. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you consult with a school construction attorney before beginning your next construction project.

CONTRACT NEGOTIATION THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS CAN BE DIFFICULT AND CAREFUL ATTENTION MUST BE GIVEN TO PROTECT THE DISTRICT’S INTEREST IN EACH CONTRACT.

A Moving Target You do not have to look far to see the many potential hazards that exist in public schools.

With laws and regulations constantly raising the bar of what is required, hitting the school health/life safety target is critical to a safe environment in your community buildings.

Keeping Track of Inspections The annual health/life safety inspection process is a great guide to stay in check with hazards and inspections.

The Health/Life Safety Glossary divides the public educational facility into no less than 37 categories with 76 code references.1 On top of managing the building, electrical and plumbing codes, the facility professional holds the challenge of keeping up with agencies providing standards and regulations, including: • ASTM (American Society of Testing Material) • ANSI (American National Standards Institute) • OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) • NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Each of these agencies has inspections to check for hazards. These include but are not limited to: • Bleachers and gym equipment • Curtains and stage rigging • Backflow preventers • Pools and playground equipment/areas • Fire monitoring and extinguishers • Roofs… and the list goes on.

Keeping track of all these inspections so they do not become hazards can be accomplished with a work order system. As covered in the Certified Professional Maintenance Manager (CPMM) training,2 Preventive Maintenance (PM) “is a fundamental component for any successful maintenance program.” Some reasons

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outlined in the training for a PM program are an increase in equipment life expectancy, protection of capital assets, as well as conforming to OSHA, ANSI and NFPA.

Keeping Up with Legislation Now toss in the legislation, regulations and zoning codes that are in place to help guide us all to do the right things.

The most recent example is the Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act.3 One would expect that it would be clear and easy to understand how to implement the law, but the law was enacted in January 2016 with very little guidance.

One must consider the diversity of the public we serve as well as the diversity of physical structures where we are all doing the same activity (education). This likely explains why the initial law was vague in the attempt to cover all structures or allow local authorities to interpret the law for their structures. While this framework provides flexibility, it makes the job of implementation a challenge for the individual facility professional.

It is only by virtue that dedicated facility professionals put the time in to meet with several local fire departments, work with the state fire marshal and come together with their peers to help develop an understanding and a more unified implementation procedure to truly guide the process. While the law is intended to protect building occupants, it is the job of the facility professional to also protect the district they serve by applying the law correctly.

ARTICLE

By John Fuhrer, CPMM, CPS DIR./OPERATIONS, FACILITIES & TRANS. NORTH SHORE SD 112

Hitting an Ever-Moving Target With the volume of codes, the number of agencies providing standards and with lawmakers adding or modifying laws each year, how does the facility professional keep up? The only way to do it successfully is with a personal willingness to keep current and the help of professional peers.

Keeping current means continuous growth. As the codes, laws and regulations evolve, the building systems must also evolve. Automation and computer control systems for HVAC, bookkeeping, work orders and safety and security systems are changing, often even faster than codes, standards and laws. When changing materials or products, it is critical to understand how many of the new “green” or “environmental” products could react with older materials, causing a whole new set of problems.

With the volume of changes that keep coming from multiple directions to impact public facilities, it is paramount to build a network or even multiple networks of peers. This means getting to know the subject matter experts you can reach out to or trust that they will reach out to you in the event of a change. Staying connected is the only way school professionals can hit the ever-moving target of keeping school facilities safe.

The Challenge of Inclusion

Serving the public, by nature, makes public buildings a challenge. Facility professionals must take into account: u Everyone in the community from the eldest to the youngest u Environmental concerns u Allergens u A wide spectrum of accessibility needs and accommodations

FOOTNOTES: 1. The Health/Life Safety Glossary – Appendix A. https://www.isbe.net/Documents/glossary.pdf 2. Associations for Facilities Engineering (AFE) Certified Plant Maintenance Manager (CPMM) Review Pack, Version 2.06 3. 430 ILCS 135/ Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2786&ChapterID=39

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Protecting Your District from Shifting Education Risks

In an environment of tight budgets, changing technologies and new legislation, uncertainty touches every aspect of education. Despite this unpredictable climate, your core responsibility remains unchanged: to ensure that your district remains operationally and financially sound. You simply cannot afford to have uncertainty compromise this mission.

At the heart of this issue is risk, an evolving and ever-present force that must be addressed with a clear and organized risk management strategy. This strategy provides a fortress of protection around the people and property that make your district run.

The question remains: how do you identify and address risks that are changing as fast as the field of education itself?

The answer is a three-fold approach that melds awareness, planning and protection.

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ARTICLE

By Patrick Sheahan SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT ALLIANT / MESIROW INSURANCE SERVICES

A CHANGING RISK LANDSCAPE

What did your business plan look like in 2010? Chances are, drastically different than it does today. The same is true of your risk management strategy. We operate in an environment where legislative, technological and cultural issues join forces to change the face of risk on a daily basis and your best defense is awareness. Here are some key trends to consider: Social Media Blurs the Line: The emergence of social media has blurred the line between professional and personal relationships, creating a privacy issue that affects both staff and students. This creates an urgent need for better policies, clearer communication and higher standards. Many districts have responded by establishing board-approved written policies defining staff use of social media for school business. Additionally, training sessions on the many “red flags” associated with social media and proactive monitoring of activity is essential to guarding against the improper use of this powerful medium.

Cyber Risk — A Growing Threat: Stories about large businesses and governmental agencies falling victim to cyber attacks are everywhere — but they are not the only ones at risk. As we continue to grow more connected, schools are also prime targets for a data breach. In addition to creating a detailed response plan, cyber liability insurance also plays an essential role in protecting your district from both the financial and reputational fallout of a data breach. The education industry has historically been lagging in adopting safety measures against cyber attacks and the time to build a defense is now.

Rocky’s Law Changes the Game: This law, passed in 2013, requires public and private high schools to provide a minimum of $3 million and/or five years of student accident benefits coverage, for on-the-field injuries to student athletes. The law also allows public elementary and middle school districts to provide accident and health insurance coverage for students injured in schoolsponsored activities. As the spotlight on sports-related injuries continues to intensify, districts that fail to provide the requisite coverage face growing scrutiny.

Crisis and Emergency Planning — Prepare and Respond: The threat of a crisis is ever-present and the impact can be dramatic and sweeping. Whether the event is a natural disaster, an accident or an active shooter situation, it is imperative that your district has a sophisticated, multi-tiered risk strategy for responding to and recovering from the event. This includes the establishment of an emergency response plan (ERP), a business continuity plan (BCP), a crisis management team and the full scale of your communications infrastructure.

New Considerations for Workers’ Compensation: Education financing in Illinois remains uncertain and some districts have responded by reducing full-time positions and outsourcing jobs. While this strategy provides an immediate positive impact on the bottom line, it may also impact your workers’ compensation losses. For example, if a contract employee is injured on your premises and is not insured under an independent policy, your workers’ compensation policy may pay for this loss. In addition, insurance carriers are now allowed by state statute to charge, at audit, for contractor and vendor payroll, if the district cannot provide the auditor with a certificate of insurance proving that the contractor or vendor had their own workers’ compensation policy in place at the time they performed services. This can lead to a substantial additional premium charge at the district’s audit. As a result, it is essential to ensure that contractors have adequate workers' compensation coverage while in your service.

Conventional Risks in a Non-Conventional Era: Despite the monumental changes that continue to reverberate throughout the world of education, traditional risks facing school districts abound. This includes issues like employment lawsuits, student accidents, transportation and property damage. As a result, your risk management strategy must be built on a sound insurance foundation that accounts for old, new and emerging risks all at once.

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ARTICLE / Education Risks

TRANSCENDING THE PHYSICAL REALM

The far-reaching and vast nature of all of these risks makes one issue eminently clear: in education, assets transcend the physical realm to include the people, programs, ideas and institutions that comprise the DNA of your district. As such, your risk management plan must follow suit and paint in very broad strokes. Remember, it is your responsibility to provide adequate coverage for: • Students • Employees • Volunteers

• Contractors • Playground and athletic facilities • Buildings • Employee benefits liability • Clubs, organizations and foundations • Transportation

A SOUND INSURANCE FOUNDATION

At the core of a sound risk management strategy is a strategic and ironclad insurance program. When assembling your insurance portfolio, it is of the utmost importance to look at your district as a unique, singular entity. Just like a financial plan or educational initiative, your insurance strategy must be built around your school’s unique mix of assets, risks and exposures.

An effective education insurance program may include the following coverages: • Property • General liability • Abuse and molestation • Auto liability • Workers’ compensation

• Umbrella insurance • School board legal liability including employment practices liability • Fiduciary liability • Crime and employee dishonesty

• Cyber liability • Pollution • Construction — builders risk • Student accident • Employee benefits liability

While your coverage options may vary, an educational risk specialist who understands the specific needs of your district and is fully in tune with the risk climate is paramount. One of the most compelling aspects of education is its ability to meld tradition with innovation, theory with practice and knowledge with implementation.

Do not let uncertainty derail your district. While the outcomes in our field will always be challenging to predict, a sound combination of planning, implementation and assessment can better ensure that risk does not run up against your long-term vision for success.

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RESOURCES An Inspirational Story of Survival Warren Macdonald was on a two-day hiking trip to Mount Bowen that took a horrific turn when a massive slab of granite sheared off the rockface he was climbing, crushing and trapping him underneath. In A Test of Will, Macdonald recounts, in agonizing detail, the experience of he and his companion, Geert Van Keulen, trying desperately to shift the boulder off of Warren’s legs as the water in the creek bed he fell into began to rise.

After hours of failed attempts, the pair come to realize that Warren’s only chance at survival is for the inexperienced Geert to make an eight hour decent to the nearest campsite to seek help.

The Will to Live After his rescue, a new battle unfolded: surviving surgery and recovery. Again, in vivid detail that makes the reader want to put the book down yet simultaneously keeps them from doing so, Warren conveys the story of his hospital stay and the painful recovery process.

It was also during this time in the hospital that Macdonald saw his parents for the first time since the accident. It is an emotional series of meetings that leave the reader contemplating their own commitment to family, as Warren wonders if he will survive to see them again outside of the hospital.

The Road Less Traveled For two days and nights Macdonald lay pinned under a granite boulder in the middle of a creek bed. He was left with only meager provisions having to face gruelling trials that he shares with the reader in detail.

The Reclamation Warren was eager to do whatever he could to regain some semblance of control over his life. From small gains at the hospital to working through rehabilitation, Warren showed an amazing amount of courage in his recovery, ultimately culminating in his conquest of Cradle Mountain.

Warren recounted the living hell he endured by sharing how he witnessed his legs and feet turning green and grey, an ant colony attempting to move itself to his location to feast on his legs, the threat of hypothermia and lucid dreams causing him to wonder if what he was experiencing was a dream or reality.

Macdonald shares his story today in hopes that it will “provide inspiration to others grappling with this strange thing we call life and [help] them put their own difficulties into perspective.” Warren’s story gives hope to those who read it and is a testimony to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.

Hear firsthand about Warren’s harrowing experience during his keynote speech at the 2017 Annual Conference!

On My List A Test of Will: One Man's Extraordinary Story of Survival

By Warren Macdonald

Overview: Author Warren Macdonald shares his harrowing story of survival in this gripping and powerful narrative about a mountain climbing accident changed this experienced outdoor enthusiast’s life forever. A Test of Will is a compelling story of strength, resilience and survival that will leave you inspired and haunted from the first page to the last.

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Staying Vigilant

Key Resources to Minimize Risk.

Stay Vigilant to Keep Your District Safe pg. 24 Emergency Response Training Opportunities for School Staff The Illinois School and Campus Safety Training Program, now administered by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute at Western Illinois University (WIU), offers a series of preparedness and awareness level training courses for K-12 school personnel. All courses are provided tuition-free to all Illinois public and private schools and higher education institutions. Many of these courses qualify for Illinois Administrator Academy Credit, CEUs and PD clock hours. Courses currently offered include: • Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools • Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Illinois Schools: Train the Trainer • Creating an Action Plan: Forming Critical Incident Response Team • Student Behavioral Threat Assessment • Advanced Student Behavioral Threat Assessment • Updating the School Emergency Operations Plan • Training and Exercising the School Emergency Operations Plan • Understanding and Planning for School Bomb Incidents • Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings.

There are also ample opportunities for school districts to access free certified safety and emergency preparedness training from: • FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute • Texas A&M University System’s TEEX Law Division • The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program Customized training is available as well, typically on a fee-basis. Do not wait for a school emergency. Get your employees trained today!

Requests for these tuition-free courses can be made by emailing Schoolsafety@iletsbei.com or calling (309) 298-2646 Monday through Friday.

Illinois ASBO members can find all of these resources within the peer2peer Network online community under UPDATE Resources.

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RESOURCES

Develop Your Cyber Security pg. 30 Infosec Institute’s Key Elements of an Information Security Policy An Information Security Policy (ISP) governs the protection of an institution’s information.

Learn some of the most important aspects one should consider when developing an ISP.

www.iasbo.tools/infosecinstitute

CoSN’s Security Planning Rubric Discover your district’s level of security preparedness by examining levels of district administrative leadership, the status of your security team, security implementations, LAN management and technology protections.

www.iasbo.tools/securityplanning

Security IQ Phishing Simulator Is your district prepared for a cyber-attack? Get security awareness training from Security IQ to develop security preparedness within your district.

www.iasbo.tools/securityiq

Avoid Project Pitfalls pg. 34 International Risk Management Institute / Construction Resources Search risk and insurance information in IRMI’s database to help you protect your district from unnecessary construction risks.

www.iasbo.tools/irmiconstruction

Illinois Institute for Continuing Legal Education Construction Considerations Learn the ins and outs of builders’ risk insurance, common issues with coverage and what to look out for.

www.iasbo.tools/iicleconstruction

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THE FINAL WORD SPEAKING UP ABOUT RISK MANAGEMENT JOHN E. LAVELLE Asst. Supt./Business Services Cons. High Sch. Dist. 230

My role is to make sure programs are sustainable.

My work ensures that educational efforts are not interrupted due to a lack of funds. I assist in finding ways to fund the initiatives our team and board of education decide are going to be most beneficial to the students of our district. This gives me the opportunity to participate in the planning that takes place between all departments.

Managing risk preserves resources for instruction.

The ultimate goal is more resources for the instructional efforts of our staff. Anyone who has spent time in a school district is aware of the many areas of exposure. Students, staff, parents and outside organizations are all potential claimants that could cost the district if a comprehensive risk management policy is not in place.

It is hard to predict what will impact districts next.

We have had a tremendous amount of policy and required actions over the past year surrounding issues like lead in drinking water, transgender issues and CO sensors. Time will tell what the next set of challenges will be, but one area that seems to be on the rise is policies and procedures for students with special needs. Communication between staff and consistent procedures in the treatment of these students seems to be undergoing a new level of scrutiny. Cyber security is another area of growing concern.

Conducting tests to determine weaknesses or to remind staff of the risks of clicking on links or opening unknown attachments will likely be added to our annual list of tasks.

One practice that districts can adopt now‌ Going through a complete policy overview and ensuring that these policies are communicated to the appropriate staff is critical. This, along with a professional review of the district’s insurance coverages to ensure that they are comprehensive and at appropriate levels, are the most important steps a district can take to avoid risk.

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R U YO

S A IDE

S E U S S I E V I T A L S I G E L YOUR

AMPLIFIE D DELEGATE ADVISORY ASSEMBLY Your vehicle for policy change is the Illinois ASBO Delegate Advisory Assembly.

Three times a year, you can bring issues forward that matter to you. Those issues are a given a platform for discussion and are potentially put on the path all the way to Springfield.

Submit an issue by March 30 for consideration at the April 5 DAA Meeting!

FIND OUT MORE AT: www.iasbo.tools/delegateassembly

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Watch your inbox every other Friday to stay in the know with Illinois ASBO!