Correction: An earlier version of this story said students at Lockport High School freshmen and younger need parental or guardian accompaniment. Students younger than ninth grade need parental or guardian accompaniment.
As high school football season across the south and southwest suburbs is in full swing, high schools continue to evaluate security measures and protocols for Friday night lights.
Most recently, Mount Carmel High School in Chicago announced on Facebook that for its Sept. 11 home game against Marist High School, the only students who could attend would be those currently at Mount Carmel and from the opposing team’s school, with valid IDs.
“The school administration feels that the most effective way to ensure the enjoyment of all of our fans and families is to work in coordination with the opposing school and only allow our Mount Carmel Students and their students to attend,” the post said.
The athletic director of Mount Carmel declined to comment on stadium guidelines.
Some attendees said they thought the change was a good thing because inviting people from other schools could be a potential security and safety concern. Others said they felt it isn’t that big of a deal.
“They’re just trying to do a reset, and it’s not that deep,” said Joe O’Connor, who has a son on the football team.
O’Connor said he had heard a rumor the updated security procedure was because some kids were trying to jump fences.
The high school denied this rumor in a Facebook post, saying there were no incidents or situation where any unauthorized person got into the school.
Mount Carmel President Brendan Conroy said the changes for Friday’s game had nothing to do with any other school, including recent events at Lincoln-Way East High School.
Lincoln-Way East announced on Facebook that for its Sept. 11 game, only current students and students from the opposing team could attend home football games. Students were required to present valid school ID upon entry, according to the post.
The school has been under scrutiny after five students from Lincoln-Way East High School were seen making racist gestures and sounds at Sept. 4 Homewood-Flossmoor High School football game.
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over Labor Day weekend at a girls cross country game involved several Lincoln-Way East students and a coach who H-F athletes said was directing racist taunts at them.The school did not return request for comment about the game restrictions.
Thornton Township High School District 205 announced over Labor Day weekend that all students attending the Sept. 4 football game had to be accompanied by a parent.
Crete-Monee High School, its opponent, told families in a Sept. 3 Facebook post that their students would have to be in compliance with the guidelines.
Thornton High School District 205 could not be reached for comment after repeated attempts.
Some security changes at suburban football games stem from specific events. A game between Thornton Fractional North and Thornton Fractional South high schools in September 2022 was called off at halftime due to a reported safety threat received by Lansing police, according to a social media post from the district.
Extra security measures were taken prior to the game, such as only students from the two schools could enter the game and adults over 21 requiring IDs to enter.
Different schools in the Southland have different protocols regarding IDs and parental presence.
At Lockport Township High School District 205, students younger than ninth grade must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, a spokesperson from the district said.
Groups must arrive together in order to enter the stadium, the spokesperson said.
In Orland High School District 230, students and visitors sit in separate sections at all three of the district’s high schools. Parents are not required to accompany enrolled high school students, the spokesperson said.
The are typically between 15 to 20 security personnel at games, a spokesperson from the school district said.
High school students get usually tickets using a system called GoFan but are not required to purchase them. Instead, they just have to register on the app.
GoFan has become a popular alternative to paper tickets for many high schools, the system’s website shows.
Other districts have different policies across schools, such as at High School District 218 which includes Richards, Shepard and Eisenhower high schools.
At Richards High School in Oak Lawn, only high school students from the home and visitor teams are allowed without an adult and must show ID, a spokesperson said.
At Shepard High School in Palos Heights, students are allowed without a parent and must show ID, and students from opposing schools can attend as long as they follow the rules and show ID, the district spokesperson said.
Similarly, at Eisenhower in Blue Island, high school students from the home and visitor teams are allowed without an adult, as long as they show ID. However, students from opposing schools whose teams are not playing must have an adult with them, the district spokesperson said.
While some schools have guidelines outlined in handbooks, others re-evaluate after each game.
Conroy said at Mount Carmel High School, the school plans ahead before every game and reviews policies thereafter.