Safe and supportive school teams will serve at each campus in Friendswood ISD for the 2024-25 school year after they received approval from the board of trustees on Aug. 12.

The goal of the teams is to offer students more mental health resources and make schools safer by conducting safety assessments and implementing plans for crisis situations, according to district documents.

The overview

In accordance with Senate Bill 11, the board of trustees of every school district in Texas must establish a threat assessment as well as a safe and supportive school team to serve at each campus of the respective district, according to FISD documents.

Membership on the team required by SB 11 includes those with expertise in counseling, behavior management, mental health and substance abuse, classroom instruction, special education, school administration, school safety and security, and law enforcement, according to district documents.

All campuses will have the following number of team members:

• Friendswood High School: 8 members
• Friendswood Junior High: 8 members
• Bales Intermediate: 6 members
• Windsong Elementary: 5 members
• Westwood Elementary: 6 members
• Cline Elementary: 5 members

Once the team has been established, the team members will complete training through the Texas School Safety Center, according to district documents.

A list of the members for each campus can be found in district agenda documents.

Since each member was already a district employee, no additional costs were needed for the safe and supportive school teams, Kelsey Golz, FISD's executive director of communication, said in an Aug. 15 email.

The background

SB 11 was established in the 2019 Texas Legislature, according to the Texas Education Agency. The bill expanded mental health initiatives and increased funding in safety and security on school campuses. This included the Safe and Supportive Schools Program, according to the TEA.

The SSSP addresses school climate, and behavioral and mental health wellness. It also conducts behavioral threat assessments and implements multihazard approaches to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crisis situations, according to the TEA.

The district’s team will report assessment data to the TEA and TSSC, according to district documents.

Editor's note: This story was updated Aug. 15 to include additional information on the costs of the teams.