Security
Effingham Unit 40 hired security officers in the district’s new Safety and Security Program, joining a growing number of districts in the state that are adopting measures to increase security. The additional security aims to assist the district’s lone school resource officer, Officer Cody Hartke, who covers six buildings spread throughout the city.
Retired police officer Kevin Mante is leading the security program after being hired as Director of Security in December 2023. He takes a three-prong parallel approach to improving the district’s security. The first step was hiring SSOs, who are also retired police officers, positioned throughout the district, with one at EHS full time, one at EJHS full time, and the other floating between the other schools daily. They are being funded through the district’s Tort Fund. The second step is making physical security assessments of each building, including looking at door locks, alarms and camera systems. The third approach is educating school staff to be more aware of security concerns and reporting them, which will develop a safer environment.
The SSOs are armed in accordance with state statute that allows school security officers, as well as retired officers, to carry weapons. The district’s policies were also changed to allow an employee of the district, i.e., security officer, to conceal carry while on district property.
As part of a larger district wide enhancement to safety and security for the 2024-2025 School Year, new access control and identification measures have been implemented.
1) All Unit 40 Employees – Employees shall be required to wear their I.D./Access Badge at all times while on school property. This badge can be worn in any usable manner in which it remains visible. The badge does not have to be worn for sporting or extra-curricular events (if attending as a spectator) and while being involved in any work activity that wearing the badge could create a hazardous situation.
2) S.S.I.D. (Safe School Identification) – Vendors engaged in work for this district may agree to enroll in the above program and have their employees background checked as part of this process. All vendors in this program will
be issued an S.S.I.D. Badge identifying their employees as pre-checked for work on school property. When practical, all vendors shall check in upon arrival at each School Office at the building/grounds where they will be
working and provide their S.S.I.D. for review prior to being allowed access.
3) Visitor I.D. Badge – All persons who are not Unit 40 Employees or Vendors enrolled in the S.S.I.D. Program that require access to school property (other than sports or extra-curricular events) shall visibly wear this badge. All visitors must sign in at each School Office and provide a Photo I.D. (Driver’s License/State I.D. Card) to be held at the Office while they are on site. Prior to leaving, each visitor will check out at the Office and exchange the Visitor I.D. Badge for their Driver’s License/State I.D. Card.
4) Escorted Access – Should non-Unit 40 Personnel require access to district buildings/property and do not have the above identification, they may be allowed access based on the discretion of School Administration. This access will be escorted at all times by members of 1) School Administration, 2) Other designated persons, or 3) Unit 40 Security Staff.