The district is now looking at the possibility of issuing identification badges for all students moving forward, said Brandon Evans, executive director of campus support. Some campuses already issue out ID badges to its students, but it is not a districtwide practice.
Additionally, LISD is looking to make improvements on the mass alert system, which has been discussed often in committee meetings.
“The bigger the campus, the bigger the chance of maybe not hearing a PA system,” Director of Security Russell Bundy said. “So we’re looking at also that tool to increase more awareness when something is happening on your campus.”
Other safety refinements discussed at the June 13 board meeting include secured entries and security cameras on all LISD buildings. Controlled access points are on every campus, but all administration buildings do not have them. Some schools have more security cameras than others, which is also another safety concern. Evans said these controlled access points and security cameras were a part of last year’s failed bond package and recommended by the district’s Citizens’ Facility Advisory Committee.
Safety practices that LISD plans to continue implementing are educating staff; drills and emergency response training for staf; and student reunification—a systematic process used by school districts to effectively reunite students with parents and guardians during a crisis or emergency.
The district is also conducting regular security audits conducted by Bundy and other administrative staff. Security audits consist of checking out campuses, making sure doors are secure, making sure systems are working properly and other safety measures, Bundy said.
LISD also participates in an annual safety summit, which allows the district to focus on its relationships with the community, district staff, Williamson County, Travis County, the Leander Police Department, the Cedar Park Police Department and even the Austin Police Department for the schools located in the southern region.
The district’s Emergency Operations Plan was reviewed and approved by the Texas State Safety Committee last year, and that plan is consistently updated and improved. The district also received a grant of roughly $7,000 for security upgrades, which allowed for updates in LISD’s card readers and badge systems.
The safety and security committee will meet again in July. The board requested that the committee provide regular updates on what’s discussed in open sessions at committee meetings.
