Highland Park parents rally for school safety outside school board meeting

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- A group of Highland Park parents rallied outside a school board meeting, saying the district isn't doing enough to keep their kids safe.

Meanwhile, School District 113 said they are trying to take careful steps to ensure all voices are heard.

Tuesday night the district released the results of a school safety and security survey, even as parents demand stricter security measures at their high schools. While no final decisions were made tonight, District 113 said they now have more information to work off of, given the results of the survey and hearing from a security consultant.

"The safety and security of our students and staff is an on-going area of concern for building leadership," said Board President Daniel Struck.

"When it comes to the safety of our kids we need an all of the above approach"," said Enrique Perez of Parents for Securing Our Schools.

On April 4, Highland Park High School went on lockdown following reports of a student with a gun. Since then, this group of parents has been demanding metal detectors and increased armed security.

"We have to be successful 100 percent of the time to prevent a mass shooting. A mass shooter just has to be successful once. That kid was not successful because yes, the intervention worked but what if it hadn't," Perez.

At Tuesday night's board meeting, District 113 reviewed results of a third party survey showing the majority of those polled would feel safer with a weapons detection system or metal detectors in place.

But whether or not they will be implemented is still up for debate.

"Our board since July 4th they had ample time to implement proper security measures at Highland Park High school and indeed at all Highland Park Schools," said parent Suzanne Wahl.

"Any suggestion that the 113 board and administration did not take security seriously is personally offensive we are parents, relatives and friends and family of 113 graduates," Struck said.

School board leaders concluded the meeting with no option off the table, they said.