Yorkville School District 115 moving ahead with beefed up security plan

YORKVILLE – Plans are moving ahead to increase building security in Yorkville School District 115.

The Yorkville School Board on Aug. 21 approved a plan to hire five full-time campus monitors as the 2023-24 academic year gets underway.

Currently, the district employs seven armed security guards, along with 14 part-time campus monitors, whose primary function is to check the identification of students and others entering school buildings.

With an open campus arrangement and freshmen from Yorkville Academy frequently crossing Game Farm Road to Yorkville High School for specific classes, the role of the monitors is deemed critical to the security of both campuses.

Yorkville High School Principal David Travis said 70% of the academy’s freshman are walking back and forth between the two campuses each day.

District 115 security supervisor Joe Grimaldi told board members during a presentation Aug. 7 that by hiring the five full-time monitors, he will be able to better meet the scheduling challenges and to build a more professional team.

The cost of hiring the five full-time monitors would be about $200,000 in salary and benefits, which are included in the district budget, District Director of Facilities Operations Heather DiVerde said.

Under the plan, the district will to continue to employ nine part-time monitors.