Parents at Gemini Middle School in Niles are petitioning East Maine School District 63 to replace its emergency alert system after what they describe as the school’s third accidental lockdown since October 2025.

Monica Romo, the parent who launched a Change.org petition on Oct. 1, said parents plan to bring their concerns to the District 63 school board at its Nov. 5 meeting, the Journal & Topics first reported. The petition had gathered 120 signatures as of Oct. 16, according to the Journal & Topics.

The Sept. 29 incident occurred at 3:08 p.m. when Gemini's emergency alert system was accidentally triggered, according to the petition. Students believed an active shooter was on the premises and responded as trained: sheltering in place, barricading doors and preparing to evacuate. The petition states children were reportedly injured in the confusion.

Romo, who identifies herself as a mental health professional in the petition, wrote that "to say this is traumatic is an understatement." She said no trauma-informed practices have been put in place for children and staff to process the false lockdowns.

The petition calls for four changes:

  • Elimination of the current emergency alert system
  • A new district protocol to prevent accidental triggers
  • Training for all staff, including substitutes, on emergency procedures
  • Immediate implementation of trauma-informed follow-up for students and staff

The petition also cites Illinois' School Safety Drill Act, which requires lockdown drills to include trauma-informed approaches and advance notification to parents.

No public response from District 63 appears in available records as of Oct. 21.

The lockdown issue surfaces as the district asks voters to approve a $120.6 million bond referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot. That plan includes secure-entrance upgrades at Gemini, Apollo Elementary School and the Family Resource Center, according to the district's referendum page. Gemini underwent a significant expansion and modernization project in 2020, the district says, and would receive only targeted improvements under the bond plan.

For a home with a $350,000 fair market value, the estimated annual tax impact of the referendum would be $314.

The Nov. 5 board meeting is open to the public. District 63 board meetings are livestreamed on the district's website.