Lake County Gazette

Safe2Help Illinois is a statewide program designed to provide students, teachers, staff, and parents with a confidential way to report school safety concerns. The initiative operates 24 hours a day and can be accessed through a free app, text or phone line, and the website Safe2HelpIL.com.

The service allows individuals to share information about issues such as suicide prevention, bullying, school violence, and other threats to student safety. According to the program’s description, "The Safe2HelpIL initiative offers students, teachers, staff and parents a safe and confidential way to share information that may help prevent suicides, bullying, school violence and other threats to student safety. Students can use the helpline to share concerns about themselves or others."

Safe2HelpIL is available at no cost to all school districts in Illinois. Specially-trained safety professionals staff the helpline around the clock. "In the absence of a trusted adult, students can use a free app, text/phone or the website (Safe2HelpIL.com) to share school safety issues in a confidential environment," according to district communication.

Confidentiality is emphasized as central to maintaining student privacy and protecting the integrity of the program. The goal of Safe2HelpIL is not punitive; rather it aims "to encourage students to ‘Seek Help Before Harm.’" The program is accessible throughout Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 via support from the State of Illinois. Information about Safe2HelpIL is printed on upper-grade student IDs for easy access.

District officials urge parents and guardians to discuss these resources with their children: "We ask all parents/guardians to talk to your child(ren) about Safe2HelpIL resources. Please consider downloading the free app and encourage your older children to download it, too. Above all, tell them to speak-up to a trusted adult (at home or at school) or use Safe2HelpIL to report concerns. Working together, we can promote well-being and prevent school violence."

Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 serves schools across Madison and St. Clair counties—including Caseyville Elementary School; Collinsville High School; Collinsville Middle School; Dorris Intermediate School; Jefferson Elementary School; John A. Renfro Elementary School; Kreitner Elementary School; Maryville Elementary School; Summit Elementary School; Twin Echo Elementary School; and Webster Elementary School (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

According to state data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), Collinsville CUSD 10 employs 418 teachers who earn an average salary of $60,392 before pension contributions are factored in. Of these teachers, 81 percent are women while 19 percent are men—none have more than ten absences in a year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).

Demographically, Collinsville CUSD 10’s student body consists of approximately 56 percent White students, 14.1 percent Black students, 24.1 percent Hispanic students, and 0.5 percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In fiscal year 2020 spending totaled $104 million—about $16,872 per student (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).