Indian Hill Elementary School awarded $100,000 safety grant

IHES Secured Entry

The Indian Hill School District is pleased to announce Ohio’s School Safety Grant Program awarded Indian Hill Elementary School (IHES) a $100,000 grant to enhance security at the building entrance. At the completion of the IHES safety enhancement project, building administrative assistants will have greater visibility as visitors enter the school, the ability to talk with visitors before they enter the office, and a chance to have a more thorough conversation about their purpose before moving into the main school.

“The safety and security of our students and staff is the No. 1 priority for our Board of Education and administration,” said Indian Hill School District CEO/Superintendent Kirk Koennecke. “Safety enhancements at our facilities across our District are under construction as part of our master facilities plan; this grant will help offset some of the costs and provide savings to our stakeholders.”

“We worked directly with safety experts at the Hamilton County ESC to conduct a vulnerability assessment, and the recommendations for this project are a direct result of that research,” said Indian Hill Director of Operations Jim Nichols. “All construction across campus will be complete in the fall of 2023.”

The Ohio General Assembly designated a total of $5 million in state funding to be used for the School Safety Grant Program. The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, in coordination with the division of Ohio Homeland Security of the Department of Public Safety, is authorized to make competitive grant awards of up to $100,000 to public schools for eligible security improvements that assist the schools to improve the overall security and safety of their buildings.

Photo caption: This rendering shows the enhanced safety measures that will be constructed at the entry to Indian Hill Elementary School.