New School Security Guidelines

 

by: Karina Rico

         

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

         

          The advisement is to constantly reevaluate safety procedures and continue evacuation, fire and lockdown drills. They say first responders should be included so they can become familiar with the campuses. The recent surge of threats across the state prompted TEA Commissioner Mike Morath to address Texas public school administrators in a letter entitled ‘Adequate and Appropriate School Safety Measures.’ It says access control continues to be one of the top safety and security challenges faced by schools.

          Tom Kelly is with the Texas School Safety Center which creates resources to assist schools with safety, including simplifying language in how districts define security measures called the standard response protocol.  “Elementary schools, that’s not as difficult. But when you get into high schools, you have ten to twelve entrances, different buildings people coming and going. It becomes a much bigger challenge,” he said.

Kelly says the protocol is simply ‘lock, lights, out of sight.’

“Avoid the situation as much as possible. Deny them access to you, and then defend yourself to the maximum that you could,” he said.

Security consultant Mark Lowery says schools should develop threat assessment teams comprised of adults in and out of school who students can trust and turn to if they hear or see something.

“The objective is to determine if there is a pathway to violence and if there is to disrupt it,” Lowery said.

          School safety plans should be coordinated with local emergency management agencies and law enforcement to help ensure safety plans won't conflict with how police and paramedics respond.