The Byron Community Unit School District takes providing a safe and respectful learning environment for our students and staff as a top priority.  Since the beginning of the school year, we have taken significant steps to make sure our school and campus is as safe as it can be.  We will continue to do so throughout the course of the school year.  Though not exhaustive, below are some new safety measures we have taken to improve safety on our campus. 

In the fall of 2018, the Byron School District created a School Safety Task to help provide feedback of school safety. This task force, comprised of approximately 30 parents, staff members, administrators, Byron Board of Education members, Byron Park District personnel, and local emergency responders, have met several times to tour the facilities, ask questions about safety-related practices, and provide recommendations on how we can improve the safety of our schools.  The Committee met several times over the course of the school year and the District used that feedback to help drive their safety improvements.

Byron CUSD 226 has now adopted The Safe School Helpline.  Students, parents and community members should use the Safe School Helpline to report threats of violence, suicide, bullying and illegal activity that could harm children in our schools. This service will provide users the opportunity to leave a message or speak with a live crisis counselor for immediate needs. The helpline is administered by an independent, outside company. All communications are PRIVATE, CONFIDENTIAL and ANONYMOUS.

The Safe School Helpline can be accessed via three methods - By telephone at 1-800-4-1-VOICE ext. 359 (1-800-418-6423 ext. 359); online at www.safeschoolhelpline.com; or by texting 66746 and typing "TIPS" as the message.

Your message will be communicated with school officials. All information will remain anonymous to encourage the reporting of all safety concerns. Your report will be assigned a case number, which you may use later to confirm that your report was received and investigated.

All Parents should have received a letter and brochure explaining how to use the helpline through their SkyAlert account.  Brochures are available in each site office upon request. Posters will be on display in each school building. If you have any questions, please contact your child's building principal.

In the fall of 2018, in conjunction with local government and police force, the District increased the hours that our schools had the presence of a certified police officer within them, both during school and at school activities. Throughout the year work was completed to begin the process of employing a full time resource officer. 

In the Fall of 2019, the Byron Board of Education and the Ogle County Sherriff’s office created an Intergovernmental Agreement to provide a full time School Resource Officer for the upcoming school year.   In addition to being on-site every day, the SRO will help spearhead all safety-related trainings and emergency operations.