2018 Hazel Park Schools Communicator : School Infrastructure Updates & Safety Policies A Top Priority

HAZEL PARK HAS BEEN BUSY OVERHAULING AND UPDATING ITS EDUCATIONAL INFRA-STRUCTURE IN THE PAST YEAR. “We needed to update the schools. They are becoming outdated,” explained Custodial/ Maintenance Supervisor Greg Richardson. “A few years ago, residents voted on the funding for remodels and it passed as a millage. We’re trying to improve the schools and compete with the bigger districts.” Schools are an investment. If you let them deteriorate, then your investment becomes a loss.

The remodeling projects have included new carpeting at Hoover, Ford, and Webb Elementary Schools, with small portions also being updated at the high school, new drinking fountains, and playground equipment for the students. “We installed new equipment and wood chips at the playgrounds,” Richardson said. “We got a grant for the drinking fountains through Oakland County. We wanted new water bottle fillers and healthier solutions for the kids.” The fountains are still a work in progress, with all schools set to receive replacement equipment.

The maintenance team will also be updating the air conditioning systems at United Oaks and Ford Elementary Schools, as well as the Junior High. “This Fall, we’ll also be repainting the swimming pool at the high school,” Richard-son explained. “And we will be updating the pool lighting.”

He noted that Hazel Park’s athletic facility was completely reconfigured six years ago. “We have a state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “Other schools and programs want to rent it out so much that we don’t have any more open dates. I was on the committee for this.”

Richardson added, “My long-term goal is to have every single school completely updated. I went to the schools in the ‘90s and it’s nice so see we finally have a small amount of funds to do this. I’m excited for what’s to come.”

Hazel Park offers a unique opportunity for high school students to get involved in the work scheduled to be completed. “We hire several kids every summer. Last year I hired five to work 40 hours per week for six to eight weeks,” said Richardson. “We put out an email to the kids at the high school and train them. This helps us out a lot, particularly when we’re short-handed, as we have been in recent years.”

The schools also follow all state guidelines when it comes to safety protocol and procedures. Richardson explained, “Each principal has their own guide-lines, but we are also up to the standards of the state. During school hours, the buildings are locked down and visitors need to be buzzed in by the front offices. Our superintendent is very good at always considering the safety of the kids. Dr. Kruppe is always making sure any door issues are fixed and the locks are working. It’s a top priority and we stay on top of it.”

Richardson added, “Hall monitors are present at some of the schools. We also have a camera system at every entrance and will know if anything out of the ordinary happens. They are recording 24/7 at all of the schools, so we can easily go back and look at the footage for a period of time.”

School safety is always at the forefront of the administration’s objectives. “We talk about it a lot,” Richardson said. “One of our administrators and a police officer who has an office at both the high school and Junior High went to ALICE training, and will be training the staff, including the principals and custodians. But we already have guidelines for how to handle active shootings, terrorist threats, and anything else that could happen. My daughter just graduated from Hazel Park High, and I’ve always felt very comfortable having her here.”

Of the District, Richardson said, “We’re really doing some great things infra-structure, safety, and education-wise. We’re a small district and not a lot of people know about it, but we really have some great things in the works.”