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The safety of our schools
Superintendent Kirk KoenneckeThe Indian Hill School District will have a 5.43 mill combined operating/bond levy on the May 4, 2021 ballot. The operating levy will provide dollars for daily operations to maintain our excellent educational services. The bond issue meets critical District needs within our facilities, including the replacement of Indian Hill Middle School and security upgrades throughout the District.

The issues within our facilities have been well researched in a public process that first began in 2018 when the District launched a Facilities Assessment Task Force comprised of community members, parents, and staff members, working in conjunction with a professional architecture firm. That work continued into the 2019-2020 school year under the direction of the District’s Facilities Steering Committee, a subcommittee of the overarching Facilities Assessment Task Force. In October 2019, that committee – made up of over 20 parents, community members, business partners, and faculty – presented the Board of Education with options to address needs for school facilities within the Indian Hill School District. All options presented included the replacement of Indian Hill Middle School, and during the committee’s research phase, the No. 1 consideration was the safety and security of all buildings.

With the May 4, 2021 levy now set, we feel it is important to share with you the details on how a bond would allow the District to invest in safety and security updates. Across all buildings, the District would invest in duress alarms at all facilities, an active shooter analysis at each school and campus, and we would work directly with our valued partners in safety – our Indian Hill Rangers – about any additional vulnerabilities to consider. We would also make specific upgrades at each building, including:

• Enhanced main entry with security vestibule, improved access control and monitoring, and direct line of site from front offices
• Improved access control at all exits and entrances 
• Improved video surveillance throughout building and campus 
• Improved visibility in public and high-traffic areas 
• Improved secure perimeter around outdoor learning and play spaces 
• Updated/improved fire alarm and life safety systems 
• Updated/expanded life safety systems (fire alarm, fire suppression, etc.) throughout building
• Foster sense of community and inclusion 
• Modified drop off drive and parking to improve separation of traffic and student play 
• Modified drives and parking to improve flow and separation of traffic (car, bus, pedestrian, etc.) 
• Separate entrance for afterhours events and programs 
• Enhanced security functions including intruder classroom lock-sets, voice-assist stations, and integrated Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) strategies in new and renovated area 
• Clear separation of public use and student use areas 

We hope these details will help inform you about the needs that our stakeholders identified within our facilities across campus. For additional information, please visit the beINFORMED website resource you can access through our District website.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions.

In service to our children,

Kirk Koennecke
Superintendent
Indian Hill School District