Last week, the Texas Attorney General released an advisory on school safety aiming to educate communities about recent laws enacted to enhance the safety and well-being of children attending public schools.
Our district has consistently exceeded state mandates regarding school safety, and I wish to offer further background on our ongoing efforts to comply with the newly enacted laws. The following bullet points outline the laws cited by the Attorney General, followed by the action steps implemented by our district to ensure compliance and ceaselessly safeguard the children entrusted to us.
- Provide every classroom with silent panic alert technology that allows for immediate contact with emergency services, law enforcement, health departments, and fire departments.
Each Katy ISD classroom is equipped with an integrated mobile and desktop-based school safety system, enabling any staff member to swiftly notify law enforcement, first responders, and district safety teams of potential incidents or crises. This system also facilitates visitor screening, volunteer tracking, drill reporting, emergency response, and family reunification processes within the school premises. Staff are trained annually in system utilization. - Require certain district employees to complete a mental health training program designed to help employees recognize and support children experiencing a mental health or substance use issue that may pose a threat to school safety.
Mandatory mental health training is required of all Katy ISD staff, while additional trainings are conducted throughout the school year and summer for specialized staff including our mental health professionals, counselors, social workers, school psychologists, campus safety liaisons, police, and emergency management personnel. - Provide the Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement agencies, and local emergency first responders with an accurate map of each campus and school building, and an opportunity to conduct walk-throughs using this map.
Regular walk-throughs of Katy ISD campuses are coordinated by designated school officers and safety personnel, in collaboration with local public safety, law enforcement, and first responder agencies. Given our district’s extensive spread across 181 square miles spanning three counties and three cities, collaboration with multiple emergency response agencies is crucial. The Katy ISD Office of Emergency Management facilitates an annual forum to bolster collaboration. During this forum, updated campus maps are distributed and reviewed, while agencies are briefed on district protocols, state mandates, new Katy ISD campuses under construction, and recently updated school safety measures. Last summer, our district partnered with Fort Bend County Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and local EMS, fire, and law enforcement agencies, to execute a full-scale emergency response exercise. The simulation provided an opportunity to assess crisis response plans and rehearse response operations. We’ve found that consistency and sustained effort in these partnerships are beneficial for maximizing safety resources and shared knowledge. We expect to continue these types of partner exercises throughout the foreseeable future. - Adopt a policy for providing electronic notice to parents and certain others of violent activity that has occurred or is being investigated at a district campus, district facility, or district-sponsored activity.
A district-level safety team comprised of Katy ISD administrative leadership, the Police Chief, the principal at the impacted campus, alongside emergency management, mental health, and legal personnel, investigate and assess campus incidents on a daily basis. This team facilitates necessary corrective and disciplinary actions to ensure timely response. Simultaneously, a dedicated team of district staff promptly notify parents and employees of concerning incidents, violent activities, or potentially hazardous situations via email, text, or automated phone call, depending upon the crisis level. - … ensure an armed security officer is present at each campus.
All Katy ISD elementary schools enlist Level 3 security officers, with the majority of them already armed. Police officers stationed at each of our secondary schools have consistently carried firearms. The district’s police department continues to complete the provisioning of duty weapons to the remaining squad of Level 3 security officers. Extensive training in safety practices, firearm use, security threats, and other relevant areas is provided to every single Katy ISD police officer, including our Level 3 security officers. Security and police officers assigned to our elementary and secondary schools are full-time Katy ISD employees, reinforcing our commitment to providing a safe learning environment for everyone while building positive relationships within the campus communities they serve.
Notwithstanding the recent implementation of new state laws concerning public school safety, a number of advanced school safety measures are already embedded across district practice, many of which Katy ISD has had in place for years. These include:
- A comprehensive Multihazard Emergency Operation Plan for both the district and individual campuses, ensuring preparedness for various emergency scenarios.
- Campus Safety Liaisons, at every school, tasked with overseeing safety protocols and coordinating response efforts in case of emergencies.
- Routinely scheduled, as well as unannounced, student and staff safety drills including lockdowns, secure, evacuation, hold and shelters in place derived from the “I love u guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol, endorsed by the Texas School Safety Center.
- A mobile-based anonymous SpeakUp reporting system that enables Katy ISD students, parents, staff, and community to anonymously report safety and well-being tips to help prevent school-related incidents that could cause harm to others.
- Video surveillance equipment installed across the interior and exterior of all Katy ISD schools and facilities, enhancing safety measures throughout the premises.
- A fully staffed Safety and Security Analysis Center (SSAC) operating around the clock (24/7), monitoring the district’s safety and security systems to serve as a force multiplier for the district’s police department and campus administrations, providing proactive, swift, and appropriate response to potential threats or emergencies.
- A district-level multidisciplinary student mental health team responsive to student mental health and risk of safety needs, 24/7.
- Mandatory Texas Education Agency (TEA) campus signage addressing human trafficking, child abuse, and fentanyl awareness prominently displayed on all campuses. Additionally, district-specific signage emphasizing door security is posted at all campus entrances and exits, heightening awareness of these crucial issues among both students and staff.
- Finally, through our community’s approval of the district’s 2023 bond, we are continuing to “harden” our school buildings with extended fencing, door safety mechanisms and other high-security protective measures, contributing to the overall safety infrastructure.
Katy ISD not only meets but surpasses the state’s benchmarks for school safety. With the support of our school community, our district stands at the forefront of school safety initiatives. Together we must continually work towards maintaining and enhancing these standards. Our commitment lies in protecting every student, employee, visitor, and family member who steps into our school buildings, securing the future of our community.
Ken Gregorski, Ed.D.
Superintendent
