Deer Creek Schools Receive $45,000 Grant To Increase School Safety

The Deer Creek Schools Foundation received a 2024 Casey’s Cash for Classrooms grant for $45,000, the largest grant the company has ever given in Oklahoma. With this grant, Deer Creek Public Schools plan to make their entire district safer.

“We are grateful to receive a Cash for Classrooms grant from Casey’s and are excited to announce that we have reached 76% of our fundraising goal,” said Alex Looper, DCSF Executive Director. “Casey’s is a great community partner that gives back to our community.”

Image Provided By: Deer creek

The foundation says the grant will help support its safety initiative by purchasing door safety devices for more than 1,200 doors within the district.

“We hope they never have to use our protocol,” said Timothy Brashier, owner of Practical Preparedness.

Door by door, Brashier walks the halls of the schools at Deer Creek to evaluate each door.

“One of the things that you statistically see when these active threats happen is if the door is locked and secure, they move on,” said Brashier.

That’s why the DCS Foundation wants to enhance safety measures they already have these safety devices that will go beyond just locking a door.

“The goal is that when parents send their children to school, they feel like they are in the safest place possible,” Looper said.

The foundation plans to purchase and install the devices with the grant money and donations from the community. They need $100,000 to secure the doors.

“These devices, if someone was able to defeat the lock, they're able to secure that door no matter if the lock is defeated or not,” Brashier said. “They can't get into the room, period.”

Brashier says the devices cannot be manipulated from the outside and can be put in place in a matter of seconds.

“It gives first responders time to get there and stop that threat,” Brashier said.

While students and teachers are safe in the room.

“It's something we thought we could never be too prepared, but we want to make sure it's one last thing our teachers or our students have to worry about,” said Looper. “Together we can ensure that our schools remain a safe haven for learning and growth.”

To learn more and make a donation to the Deer Creek Schools Foundation Safety Initiative, click here or contact Alex Looper at alooper@dcsfoundation.org.