Student safety is of the utmost importance in Huntley 158 and this includes ensuring that students are making safe and healthy choices during the school day. Due to an increase nationwide in the use of vaping among both teens and adults, Huntley 158 is working to proactively educate students about making healthy choices to help prevent them from being introduced to vapes and/or experimenting with harmful substances.
Please see below for the preventative measures that will go into effect starting with the 2023-24 school year:
- Adjustments to staff supervisory assignments during the school day
- Curriculum enhancements starting in 5th grade through 12th grade centered around helping students make healthy choices
- Installation of vape sensors in all restrooms and locker rooms at Heineman and Marlowe
- Additional information and resources for students and families through partnerships with Northwestern Medicine – Huntley and McHenry County’s Drug Free Coordinator Center to educate them about the dangers of substance-use
Vape sensors will help administrators identify bathrooms where vaping activities are taking place and allow for a swift response and intervention with student(s) found to be engaging in substance-use behaviors. Parents/guardians will be notified in the event that their student is identified as vaping or in possession of a vape on school grounds, consistent with our Student Handbook and Board of Education policy. For more information about vape detection, see the frequently asked questions below.
Ultimately, our goal is to ensure that Huntley 158 schools are safe for all students and that students who are struggling with substance use can receive the support they need. The installation of vaping sensors is just one component of a comprehensive approach to ensuring that students are making safe choices, and parent and student partnership in this effort is greatly appreciated.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vape Detection in D158 Middle Schools
Are vape sensors necessary or helpful?
The ultimate goal of the entire administrative team is to ensure that District 158 schools are safe for all and that students who are struggling with substance use receive the support they need. The installation of vaping sensors is just one component of a comprehensive approach to ensuring that students are making safe choices, and that students with substance use issues are getting connected with outside resources such as assessment and counseling to support their needs. Research and information about the health risks of vaping is available online. One such website students and parents may be interested in is linked below:
What is the process when a vape sensor goes off?
Sensors are set to detect both vaping and THC products. Following an alert, security and/or administrative staff will report to the alert location and will escort all students in that bathroom to the Administration Office for further discussion and review. (Alternatively, if students have left the space prior to adults arriving, security footage will be used to determine who was in the bathroom at the time the sensor was activated.) Students found to be in a bathroom at the time a sensor goes off will be given due process (afforded the opportunity to share their perspective on whether they were/were not using a vaping product in the bathroom), followed by a student search conducted by an administrator. Student searches involve an inspection of the student’s belongings (such as their backpack) in the student’s presence, as well as a visual inspection (i.e., asking students to empty pockets or show the tops of their socks). All conversations with students and searches will be conducted in a private location away from other students.
Students who are NOT found to be in violation of substance use/possession rules will receive a pass to their next class and will not be penalized for tardiness. Parents/guardians will receive an email notifying them that their student was found to be in a bathroom where there was a sensor alert, was afforded due process, and was not found to be in violation of substance use/possession rules.
How will students who are caught vaping be dealt with?
Students found to be in possession of a vaping product (as well as students who were observed using and/or who admitted to using a vaping product) will receive disciplinary consequences per the Student Handbook and Board Policy. Additionally, a parent/guardian will be contacted.
Will vape sensors also be installed at Huntley High School?
The installation of vape sensors at D158 middle schools is a part of a collaborative, proactive effort to encourage healthy choices and discourage the use of vapes and other substances among tweens and teens. The district will evaluate the effectiveness of these proactive measures (including vape sensors in bathrooms and locker rooms) this year at our middle schools prior to proposing any changes at the high school.
