Kevin Hill could not be more invested in the Mid-Del school district.

He attended only Mid-Del Public Schools, and after college, he came back to teach students then later became a school principal at Epperly Heights Elementary in Del City.

On the first day of school this past August, Hill was excited about the changes that took place at Epperly Heights over the summer. Changes, he says, have given the “gift of time.”

The school’s new safety vestibule, funded by the September 2011 bond issue, have gifted Hill and school staff the ability to have time on their side when it comes to safety.

“If an intruder came to our building we would have a visual on the person immediately and could notify emergency services,” the principal said.

Hill is speaking of the school’s new state-of-the-art security vestibules entrance, security cameras, card access readers, lighting and fencing. The school is the only one in the school district that has these safety features, but on Feb. 11, Mid-Del school district voters can vote for or against two bond propositions that could change that.

In the first proposition, which totals just over $10 million, it will fund all of the safety features already in place at Epperly Heights at every school and site in the district. It also will fund technology improvements and a new safe room at Parkview Elementary.

Then Proposition 2 will allow the district to purchase new student transportation for $400,000.

If passed by 60 percent approval, both propositions will raise property taxes less than $4 per month when broken down. The bonds also would be paid off in five years.

A safer school

The improvement at Epperly Heights, Hill says, has given students the feeling that they are entering a safe environment.

“We read things in the paper and see things on the national news about incidents. It’s a fear for parents and it’s a fear for us as well,” the principal said.

“Instead of sitting back and waiting, we have this,” Hill said, opening his arms wide to indicate the school’s new entrance he is standing in. “We can tell what’s going on in our building at all times, even in the parking lots, including the back, because of video cameras.”

Hill said the shift into the school’s new safe environment was paradigm and the school community has been very receptive.

As principal, Hill believes it is his mission for every student in his school to feel safe. If they don’t, he needs to find out why.

With the new features at Epperly Heights, the school is at the forefront of school safety, which is letting school leaders falls right in line with their focus to keep students safe, secure and smart.