In today’s school environments, safety is more than locked doors, it’s about clear communication and quick confirmation that spaces are secure. Community Unit School District 300 recognized the importance of adding visible Locked/Unlocked indicators to classroom and office doors.
The upgrade would enhance security for daily operations and during emergencies, while also providing peace of mind for staff and students. District 300’s project spanned through three schools and involved a wider variety of hardware and finishes.
At Dundee Crown High School, 43 new Schlage ND Series indicator lever locks were installed, with existing cylinders reused where possible. 50 mortise lock indicators were added to classroom interiors. All re-keying was completed to match the district’s lockdown system. The largest effort took place at Jacobs High School, with 106 mortise lock indicators installed in brushed chrome and satin bronze finishes to match existing hardware.
Most cores and housings were reused, with one replacement keyed to the lockdown system. Liberty Elementary School received eight new Schlage ND Series indicator locks, again reusing cylinders where possible and re-keying to the standard. Across all three schools, the focus was on compatibility, efficiency, and cost savings without compromising security. Indicator locks offer a simple but powerful advantage: at a glance, you know if a door is locked.
In schools, this saves valuable seconds during emergencies and reduces uncertainty for teachers and staff. For first responders, visible indicators mean less time checking doors and more time addressing the situation. Today, more than 200 doors in District 300 are equipped with these upgrades, all tied to a consistent lockdown key system for reliable, district-wide security. By matching finishes to existing hardware, the enhancements blend seamlessly while delivering a major boost to safety.
Technicians Scott O and Brian K emphasized that the most demanding part of the work was ensuring compatibility with existing cores, housings, and key systems.
As Scott put it, “It’s not just about putting in a lock, it’s about making sure every door works in the bigger picture of school safety.”
With these projects complete, the district has taken an important step towards ensuring safety measures are as visible as they are reliable, proof that sometimes the most impactful security improvements are the ones you can see at a glance.