A school announcement told teachers and students that they were having a “hold in place” on Tuesday, Aug. 19, at Kaneland High due to an investigation, making it the earliest in KHS history.
Everyone in classrooms was told to stay put until further notice near the end of seventh period (1:04 p.m.). It occurred on the fifth day of school. Details of the event were not disclosed to the public, but there was speculation about what occurred.
“I was sitting at my table, which is pretty close to the bathroom, during the hold in place,” sophomore Reygan Behrends said. “The cops came in, and I think there were maybe two to four of them, and they went to the bathroom.”
The officers investigated the scene, and students were able to leave not long after the investigation.
Emails addressing the situation were not sent to students, but were sent to parents. The email did not include what occurred or offer any details regarding the situation. Naturally, students tried to put together what happened.
“There was a lot of speculation that there was something that was written on the mirror or a note was left that I heard was about threatening the school,” Behrends said.
Minor details of the event were only given to the teachers and staff.
“They (Kaneland administration) sent an email saying that they were investigating something,” French teacher Cristian Hernandez said. “They told us to not be alarmed, and just make sure no one leaves.”
Teachers and staff were given an opportunity to learn more after school hours.
“After the whole day, they said if you want to find more information about it, come to an optional meeting after school, which I really appreciate,” Hernandez said.
Teachers are supposed to follow a specific code of action in case of an emergency. The event on Aug. 19 fell under “HOLD!” Students were to remain in a room until further notice, and adults were to lock all doors while conducting business as usual.
“There are specific rules in place for adults for them to self-initiate based on the alarm or based on the lockdown,” School Resource Officer (SRO) Eric Perkins said.
Debate about whether or not the staff have been properly trained for emergencies started to arise after this event.
“I’ve been here quite a while,” business teacher Renee Grisch said. “We have been trained in the past, but have we recently been trained? I don’t think so.”
Various other teachers have also stated that they have not been prepared for emergency situations.
Despite some teachers feeling unprepared, school personnel responsible for safety protocols stated that teachers and staff have been properly trained.
“Teachers are trained in lockdown procedures,” Perkins said.
These emergency “hold in places” occur for a variety of different situations. Just over three weeks after Aug. 19, students were told to stay in their classrooms until further notice once again. On Sept. 10, there was a medical emergency that needed to be properly cared for. Emails were sent out to parents like the previous event.
