The two student members must be enrolled at a Harris County high school, and at least one student member must be a resident of unincorporated Harris County, according to the commission’s website.
How we got here
Formally titled the Harris County Safe School Commission, this initiative was originally created in June 2022 at the recommendation of Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting that took the lives of 19 students and two teachers.
Under the guidance of Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, Harris County commissioners unanimously approved a plan to implement new strategies and national best practices during an Aug. 27 court meeting—less than one week before the Sept. 4 fatal Georgia high school shooting that took the lives of two students and two teachers.
Quote of note
“As a mother of three daughters and as a former teacher, nothing is more important to me than ensuring the safety of our children and our educators,” Briones said in a statement. “The start of this new school year is the perfect time to strengthen the Safe Schools Commission and take action on the recommendations—reaffirming our commitment to a community where everyone can thrive at school without fear of violence. This is what all our children deserve.”
The framework
The commission consists of seven voting members, which will include the two high school students.
Together, the members will work to study, compile and recommend measures that Commissioners Court can take to support safety strategies for all school districts, in grades ranging from kindergarten through high school. Partners will include officials from the Harris County Department of Education, the Harris County Fire Marshal and other partners as needed, according to the commission’s website.
Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen said in a news release how this commission is a critical step to protecting and enhancing the safety of the county’s schools.
“This is more than a procedural milestone. It reflects our unwavering dedication to making Harris County a national leader in school safety," Christensen said.
Zooming in
The commission’s current members come from throughout the county and include:
- Saami Baig, former co-executive director, March For Our Lives Houston and recent high school graduate
- Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, former teacher and past Houston ISD trustee
- Traci Latson, HISD teacher
- Jenny McGown, Klein ISD superintendent
- Calandrian Simpson-Kemp, gun violence prevention advocate
- Emergency responder radio access
- Emergency responded access to key/lock boxes
- Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office annual lock inspections
According to reporting from Community Impact partner ABC 13, in late August, Houston ISD police confiscated a weapon from a Bellaire High School student. Principal Michael Niggli sent a statement to parents that week confirming no one was injured.
“We must take action to make our schools as safe as possible. ... Together, we must take proactive, preventative steps to make our schools safer and to reduce gun violence,” Briones said.
