Lock Blocks are classroom safety devices that can immediately lock any door in a potentially dangerous situation. Oak Park High School has recently introduced lock blocks to every classroom door in the school. 

“With the Lock Block in place, the doors are kept partially open, but locked at all times. In the case of an active shooter or another potentially dangerous scenario on campus, students just have to slide the Lock Block out of the way and shut the door to lock the classroom without the need of keys,” a Moorpark reporter said.

With these new devices installed, teachers have expressed how much easier it is to quickly lock their doors and create a safe environment for students.

“I do feel safer because I feel that I can easily transition to being in lockdown mode as practiced in our drill yesterday and yet, not make it inconvenient for students to come in and out of the classroom. Prior to the lock block, I would have had to grab my keys, which I try to have near me always, get to the door and lock the door from the inside,” English teacher Jennifer Hankins wrote. “All of this would take some time to do, which could take away from ensuring the safety of the students in my classroom. Now with the lock block, the process is much faster and more efficient.” 

The lock blocks were installed over Thanksgiving break when students were not present on campus.

“[The lock blocks were installed on] Thursday, Nov. 17. For increased safety as recommended by our Safety advisor,” History and Social Science teacher Dr. Victor Anderson wrote.

The recent lock blocks have impacted school safety – they will stay on classroom doors until further notice.

“Of course, there are many other measures that contribute to making a school campus safe, but I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Hankins wrote. “Now that we have the lock blocks installed, I can’t imagine not having them in place.”