Communications & Public Information

District 401 and each of its schools strive to provide essential information to students, parents, faculty/staff and community members in a timely and reliable manner.

We do this through multiple means of communication tailored to specific needs, ranging from online media and newsletters for conveying more general information to report cards and parent-teacher conferences for updates about individual student progress.

Our goal is to provide our key stakeholders with the information they need while also strengthening our connection with the Elmwood Park community.

Required Information and Public Records

Certain information is required by law to be posted on public school websites. Links to all such information required of District 401 can be found here.

In addition, access to District 401's public records is available as provided under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and under the Board of Education's FOIA policy and implementing procedures.

The Board's FOIA policy is explained in Section 2:250 in the District Policy Manual. Additional information about requesting records under FOIA can be found here.

Telling Our Story

Central to our efforts is telling the story of how our students, teachers, administration and support staff work together every day to fulfill District 401’s educational mission.

We publicize the accomplishments of our talented students and faculty through newsletters, website announcements and social media posts, and we work with local news media to get the word out to even larger audiences.

Our virtual backpack provides access to flyers advertising District-sponsored events open to the community. The virtual backpack is also a place where community groups can post approved flyers advertising events and programs that would be of interest to our students. Information about submitting flyers can be found here.

District 401's Policy on Community Connection

Our communication practices are governed by the Board of Education's policy on public relations, which can be found in Section 8:10 of the District Policy Manual.

Under this policy, the Board President is the official spokesperson for the School Board. The Superintendent of Schools is the District's chief spokesperson.

As specified in Section 8:10, the Superintendent or designee shall plan and implement a District public relations program that will:

  1. Develop community understanding of school operation.
  2. Gather community attitudes and desires for the District.
  3. Secure adequate financial support for a sound educational program.
  4. Help the community feel a more direct responsibility for the quality of education provided by their schools.
  5. Earn the community's good will, respect, and confidence.
  6. Promote a genuine spirit of cooperation between the school and the community.
  7. Keep the news media accurately informed.
  8. Coordinate with the District Safety Coordinator to provide accurate and timely information to the appropriate individuals during an emergency.

A searchable online version of the Board's complete District Policy Manual can be found here.

To Learn More

For additional information about our public communication efforts, please visit the links below.