One School Takes a “Chance” on Student Services

One School Takes a “Chance” on Student Services

By Eileen Griffin-Ray

A high school in Illinois launched an innovative dog therapy program on their campus this year.

Schools have been dealing with unprecedented problems since the return to in-person classes after COVID-19 lockdowns. Problems and issues that no one was prepared for surfaced in schools all over the country.

Students have been frustrated, with some acting out, putting teachers and other students in danger. Schools from  Florida to New Jersey to Wisconsin experienced violence in the classroom.

With the isolation and other consequences of lost school time, some students struggle to socialize and interact with teachers and fellow students.  

Hersey High School, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, has taken a creative approach to address these issues by including a dog on their security team.

The program is the brainchild of Hersey security staff member, Debbie Kubitz. Kubitz realized that exposing children to the unconditional love of a dog while at school might make a huge difference in their day.

Hersey’s security lead, Gabe Corey told The PNW Post that, although he immediately liked the idea, there were several policies and approvals that would need to be met prior to introducing a dog to the security program.

 “When we first interviewed Debbie she mentioned her past experience with therapy dogs and we talked about the possibility of having a dog on the security team.”

Corey said they saw the potential and began working through the process to get approval.  

Although there was no commitment yet, Kubitz decided to take a chance and began looking for the right dog. Kubitz soon found her perfect therapy dog.  A mix of golden retriever and black lab, this dog would be gentle, loving, attentive, and smart. The whole program was a gamble, so she named him “Chance.”

“Initially we went on hope and faith that we would eventually get the ok,” Corey said.

After discussions and extensive review by the school’s leadership, a small scope pilot project began in the fall of 2024. Chance came to school for brief periods to see how he would do and how the kids would respond.

“The kids got to see Chance and they fell in love with him,” Corey said. “He’s a beautiful dog with the perfect temperament.”

Chance successfully passed his evaluations and testing to become a registered therapy dog. He has all the paperwork that the district requires.

Over the summer, the school received the approval they needed to have Chance officially working in the school. When school started in August, Chance began his official duties at Hersey High School.

“Kids are really responding to Chance,” Kubitz told The PNW Post. “Kids may feel the need to talk but have no idea how to approach an adult. Now, they can come up to see the dog and I can engage them in conversation.”

Chance interacts well with the students. He likes school and enjoys having a job.

“He was tired at first,” Kubitz said. “The first day I found him napping underneath a desk.”

It’s a long day for a dog, but the staff is excited to have Chance. Some staff members, as well as students, will come and ask about him when he is not there. There are plenty of opportunities to connect Chance with a student who could benefit from his attention and affection.

“It’s amazing to watch the interactions with the kids,” Corey says. “There are kids in the building that will not open up to the security team but now we have Debbie walking the halls knocking those barriers down because of Chance. Kids talk to her now and she has interactions she would not have had.”

Corey says that he expects the special education department to use Chance frequently, but all the students can benefit from having him on campus.

“We just had a student having a tough time – we sent Debbie over with Chance and he calmed the student,” Corey said. “Any kid just having a tough day – I want them (the staff) to use Chance and Debbie’s abilities to calm kids down.”

Corey says he has Debbie and Chance placed in locations where kids can easily find them. They are in the student center and often stay in the student lounge during lunch.

“I have a lot of hope for this program,” Kubitz says. “I would love to see every school in our district have a therapy dog on site.”

Corey advises that any school considering adding a therapy dog to their security program needs to have someone who knows what they are doing to take the lead.

“It takes the right person with the right expertise,” Corey says. “I think we were fortunate to have Debbie with her expertise.”

“Debbie picked the right dog,” Corey says. “His personality is amazing. He is smart. Everyone loves him and he loves the attention. He is good for staff too for stress relief.”

Having a staff member with a passion for therapy dogs and the knowledge to implement a program is key. From selecting the dog to facilitating training to implementing the on-campus security activities, one person needs to take ownership.

“I have seen Debbie walk with Chance down the hall when there are 300-400 kids in the hallway,” Corey says. “He walks right next to her. I have not heard him bark once. It’s amazing how calm he is in the middle of all these kids.”

“Our biggest role is security, safety, and well-being,” Corey says. “Some of our kids are going through things – maybe at home – we don’t know what all they are going through. Chance can make a difference. I’ve witnessed it – seeing kids having anxiety and just really stressed out. Chance comes in and relieves their stress.”

“He is so great with kids,” Corey says. “The more they see him the more he will be utilized. We envision him doing lots of work for us.”