Services & Support
District 181 is committed to providing a comprehensive and supportive learning environment for all students. We understand that every child has unique needs and challenges, and we are dedicated to offering a variety of services and support to help students succeed.
This section of our website provides information about the resources available to students and families. Whether you need assistance with academic challenges, language barriers, financial hardships, or health concerns, we are here to help.
Our dedicated staff is committed to working closely with students, families, and community partners to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. We believe that by providing the necessary support and resources, we can create a positive and inclusive school community where all students can thrive.
Please explore the following sections for more information about the specific services and support available to you and your child.
Erica Ekstrom
- Additional Outside Assistance Resources
- Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming (Faith's Law)
- Bullying Prevention
- English Language Learners (ELL)
- Erin's Law
- Fee Waivers
- FOIA
- Health Services
- McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Additional Outside Assistance Resources
Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming (Faith's Law)
Student Handbook Language
Compliance with Board Policy 4:165
Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming Behaviors
Sexual abuse, grooming behaviors, inappropriate employee-student relationships, and other boundary violations harm students, their parents/guardians, the District’s environment, the school community and the community at large while diminishing a student’s ability to learn. Such conduct and other sexual misconduct are prohibited pursuant to Board Policy 5:120. To increase awareness and understanding of these issues, the District encourages parents/guardians, students, and all members of the school community to closely review Board Policy 5:120, Employee Ethics, Conduct, and Conflict of Interest, Board Policy 4:165, Awareness and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse and Grooming Behaviors, and the information listed below.
Warning Signs of Child Sexual Abuse
Warning signs of child sexual abuse include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors:
Physical signs:
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or other genital infections
- Signs of trauma to the genital area, such as unexplained bleeding, bruising, or blood on the sheets, underwear, or other clothing
- Unusual weight gain or loss
Behavioral signs:
- Excessive talk about or knowledge of sexual topics
- Keeping secrets
- Not talking as much as usual
- Not wanting to be left alone with certain people or being afraid to be away from primary caregivers
- Regressive behaviors or resuming behaviors that the child had grown out of, such as thumb sucking or bedwetting
- Overly compliant behavior
- Sexual behavior that is inappropriate for the child’s age
- Spending an unusual amount of time alone
- Trying to avoid removing clothing to change or bathe
Emotional signs:
- Change in eating habits or unhealthy eating patterns, like loss of appetite or excessive eating
- Signs of depression, such as persistent sadness, lack of energy, changes in sleep or appetite, withdrawing from normal activities, or feeling “down”
- Change in mood or personality, such as increased aggression
- Decrease in confidence or self-image
- Anxiety, excessive worry, or fearfulness
- Increase in unexplained health problems such as stomach aches and headaches
- Loss or decrease in interest in school, activities, and friends
- Nightmares or fear of being alone at night
- Self-harming behaviors or expressing thoughts of suicide or suicidal behavior
- Failing grades
- Drug or alcohol use
Grooming Behavior & Warning Signs
A person commits “grooming” when the person knowingly uses a computer online service, Internet service, local bulletin board service, or any other device capable of electronic data storage or transmission, performs an act in person or by conduct through a third party, or uses written communication to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, or attempt to seduce, solicit, lure, or entice, a child, a child's guardian, or another person believed by the person to be a child or a child's guardian, to commit any sex offense as defined in Section 2 of the Sex Offender Registration Act, to distribute photographs depicting the sex organs of the child, or to otherwise engage in any unlawful sexual conduct with a child or with another person believed by the person to be a child.
Warning signs of grooming include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors:
- Sexual or romantic invitations to a student via any form of communication
- Dating or soliciting a date from a student
- Engaging in sexualized or romantic dialog with a student through any form of communication
- Making sexually suggestive comments that are directed toward or with a student
- Self-disclosure or physical exposure of a sexual, romantic, or erotic nature through any form of communication
- Sexual, indecent, romantic, or erotic contact with a student
- Failing to respect boundaries or listening when a student says “no”
- Engaging in touching that a student or student’s parents/guardians have indicated is unwanted
- Trying to be a student’s friend rather than filling an adult role in the student’s life
- Talking with students about personal problems or relationships
- Expressing unusual interest in a student’s sexual development, such as commenting on sexual characteristics or sexualizing normal behaviors
- Giving a student gifts without occasion or reason
- Restricting a student’s access to other adults
Inappropriate Relationships and Other Boundary Violations by Adults & Warning Signs
All District personnel, employees, volunteers, and visitors are expected to maintain professional and appropriate relationships with students based on students’ ages, grade levels, and developmental levels. Adults in schools breach adult-student boundaries when they misuse their position of power over a student in a way that compromises the student’s health, safety, or general welfare.
Warning signs of boundary violations include, but are not limited to, the following behaviors:
- Favoring a certain student by inviting the student to “hang out” or by granting special privileges
- Engaging in peer-like behavior with a student
- Discussing personal issues with a student
- Spending time alone with a student outside of their role in the student’s life or making up excuses to be alone with a student
- Failing to maintain age-appropriate relationships with a student
- Meeting with a student off-campus without parent/guardian knowledge and/or permission
- Dating, requesting, or participating in a private meeting with a student (in person or virtually) outside of a professional role
- Transporting a student in a school or private vehicle without administrative authorization
- Giving gifts, money, or treats to an individual student
- Sending a student on personal errands
- Intervening in a serious student problem instead of referring the student to an appropriately trained professional
- Taking and using photos/videos of students for non-educational purposes
- Initiating or extending contact with a student beyond the school day in a one-on-one or non-group setting
- Inviting a student to an employee’s home
- Adding a student on personal social networking sites as contact when unrelated to a legitimate educational purpose
- Privately messaging a student
- Maintaining intense eye contact with a student
- Making comments about a student’s physical attributes, including excessively flattering comments
- Disclosing confidential information
- Invading personal space
Reporting & Referral Information for Sexual Abuse, Grooming, and/or Boundary Violations
If you/your student believe you/your student is a victim of child sexual abuse, grooming behaviors, or boundary violations, immediately contact the Building Principal, a school social worker or another trusted adult employee of the District.
To make a report of alleged child sexual abuse or grooming, parents/guardians may also contact:
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Hotline at 1.800.25.ABUSE (2873)
Available Resources & Assistance Information
For parents/guardians and students seeking counseling services or other resources for children affected by sexual abuse, the following resources are also available:
National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673)
National Sexual Abuse Chatline at online.rainn.org
DuPage County Child Advocacy Center
Parents/guardians and students may also contact the school counselor or school social worker for more information regarding available resources and support services for children affected by sexual abuse.
Bullying Prevention
Report Bullying or Concerning Behavior
Community Consolidated School District 181 does not tolerate bullying and takes all reports of bullying seriously. Consistent with School District Board policies, bullying, intimidation, and harassment diminish a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate. Preventing students from engaging in these disruptive behaviors and providing all students equal access to a safe, non-hostile learning environment are important District goals. Bullying of any type should be reported immediately.
More information about the D181 Bullying prevention policies can be found in the Student Handbook.
Make a Report
Upon receipt of the completed report, a school administrator will review the content and initiate an investigation into the bullying report. While you do not have to include your name as the reporter on this form, the school administrator may want to contact you to gather additional details as part of the investigation so including your name will help the administrator investigate the issue.
Please select a school and click 'Begin Report' to start your report (the bullying report form will be sent to the administrator of the building selected):
Select your school to begin a report:
- Hinsdale Middle School
- Clarendon Hills Middle School
- Elm Elementary School
- Madison Elementary School
- Monroe Elementary School
- Oak Elementary School
- Prospect Elementary School
- The Lane Elementary School
- Walker Elementary School
Resources
English Language Learners (ELL)
D181 English Language Learners Board of Education Policy
Illinois State Board of Education Resources for Families of English Learners
WIDA Website: WIDA advances academic language development and academic achievement for linguistically diverse students through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional development for educators.
Erin's Law
Erin's Law is a law that requires public schools to teach students about child sexual abuse prevention and reporting.
Fee Waivers
FOIA
Freedom of Information Act
The Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 ILCS 140/4) provides for public access to public records. To comply with the Freedom of Information Act, we make the following information available to the community: a description of the District, an organizational chart, District procedures related to Freedom of Information Act requests, and a Request for District 181 Records form.
Pursuant to School Board Policy 2:250, Freedom of Information Act, the District will charge a copying fee for FOIA requests over 50 pages. The copying fee is reflective of the actual cost incurred by the district per copy including: toner, paper, and labor.
FOIA Response Time
Upon receipt of a FOIA request, the FOIA Officer shall determine whether the requested information is exempt or nonexempt under the provisions of the FOIA. The FOIA officer shall respond in one of the following ways:
- Approval of request - Provide materials requested within five business days after receipt of the request, give notice of when the records will be provided and the cost (if any), or give notice of the time and place for inspection of the records.
- Give a notice of extension - The FOIA officer may request an additional five business days to fulfill the request. However, a written response informing the requester of the extension must be made by the fifth business day. If the requester agrees, the time may be extended beyond an additional five business days.
- Denial of request or part of request - Denial must be written and reference a specific legal reason under FOIA to justify the nondisclosure. The denial must also inform the requester of the right to seek review of the issue by the public access counselor (PAC) in the Attorney General’s Office, with the PAC’s contact information, as well as the right to seek judicial review by filing a court case.
The requester must submit a Request for Review to the PAC within 60 calendar days after the date of the final denial from the public body.
Jean Duggan
FOIA Officer
630.861.4922
Administration Center
115 W. 55th Street
Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
Health Services
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is a federal law that works to ensure educational stability for homeless youth. The McKinney-Vento act allows homeless students to enroll in school and receive transportation immediately. The McKinney-Vento Act defines homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence.” Examples of children who fall under this definition include:
(a) Children sharing housing due to economic hardship or loss of housing;
(b) Children living in “motels, hotels, trailer parks, or campgrounds due to lack of alternative accommodations”
(c) Children living in “emergency or transitional shelters”
(d) Children whose primary nighttime residence is not ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation (e.g. park benches, etc.)
(e) Children living in “cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations…”
Who are Homeless Children and Youth?
Below are links to additional information for individuals or families who are experiencing homelessness.
-
Homeless liaison for the DuPage Regional Office of Education
- DuPage County Community Services
- DuPage PADS
- Homeless Information for Parents
- Homeless Information for Students
- National Association of Education of Homeless Children and Youth
- National Center for Homeless Education at the SERVE Center
- National Center on Family Homelessness
- National Coalition for the Homeless
- Homelessness in the US: Sleep Study & Accommodation Directory
District 181 is committed to educating students who meet the guidelines under McKinney-Vento. If you have further questions regarding homelessness, please contact our District Homeless Liaisons:
Erica Ekstrom, Assistant Superintendent for Student Services
630-861-4952