School security breach raises questions at D11

America Arellano, 7, is home safe after being taken from Carver Elementary School.
Her mother, 25-year-old Wendy Arellano, is facing second-degree kidnapping charges. But, the big question now is how Arellano was able to go into her daughter’s school after losing her parental rights?

“You can never guarantee the safety of an individual 100 percent of the time,” said D11 Spokesperson Devra Ashby.

She said even the best security is no match for people with criminal intent.

“There are people who are intent on doing things that are against the policies and procedures, they’re intent on doing something illegal,” Ashby said

The district does have specific rules in place when it comes to picking up a child, and staff members say they work to implement those rules as best they can.

“In all of our schools, usually at the beginning of the year or upon enrollment, there is paperwork that needs to be done to establish who is allowed to pick that child up. Usually its an immediate guardian, caretaker,” Ashby said.

She couldn’t talk about the specifics of the investigation or why Arellano was allowed inside the school but she said safety procedures are always evolving.

“We ask that parents and students be very cognizant of our safety procedures. Sometimes at the front doors we’ll have a student think they’re being polite and they’ll hold the door open for someone or a parent who’s leaving the school and they’ll hold the door open for someone,” Ashby said.

No extra security measures are planned at Carver Elementary.