Bond Funds New Door Locks at Every School and Classroom Across the District

1572 new door locks were installed across the district, keeping students and staff safer.

When the schools in Oregon City were initially built, the only way to lock classroom doors, was from the outside using a key. These locks were used as a way to keep the “valuables” of each classroom secure. Today, when people think about school security no one is worrying about securing pens and computers, but rather, about keeping students and staff secure.

Over the summer and into September, Oregon City School District worked with Chown hardware to install new handles, locks, and other security improvements on doors. Every school across the district was impacted, with the exception of Oregon City High School, which already had secure and appropriate door locks.

This investment in improved door locks and increased campus security reflects the continued priority that Oregon City School District places on student and staff safety. The need to prioritize  safety and security at every school was the number one motivator for the district to pursue a $158 million school bond in 2018. The completion of these new locks represents a huge impact towards improved safety at Oregon City schools.

"I'm so happy that our community is willing to support safety updates in our buildings,” said Kelli Rhea, Holcomb Elementary Principal. “Knowing that every classroom can quickly be secured makes it easier for our teachers to focus on teaching and less about how they would secure their doors in an emergency situation.”

Beyond making classrooms more secure, the new locks are also ADA compliant and largely future proof. The exterior door lockshave the ability to be connected to auto-locking features that can be integrated into future and ongoing security improvements.

While the locks represent a great initial step, safety projects across the district are just getting started. Design teams will be working with schools on ways to improve school entrances and make our entire buildings more secure. Additionally, while working to make schools and classrooms more secure, there is also a charge to make sure that the spaces are warm and welcoming for students, staff and the community.