In the wake of the Uvalde, TX shooting, school security has been on everyone’s mind. The necessary funding from federal and state legislatures, the need for updates in infrastructure, and the gun-control debate have been sparked heavily in recent months. The Texas School Security Center (TxSSC) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) have already handed out the requirements to all school districts security implementations for the upcoming school year along with school security audits that will be done by all school districts and the TEA.
“Our BISD Safety and Security Committee met last week (July 21) and discussed the local implementation of mandates and our Emergency Operations Plan,” stated Dr. Joe Young, Superintendent for Brownwood ISD. “I’m grateful to Police Chief Kading, Fire Chief Hicks, Board President Cloy, and Board Member Thompson for serving on this committee along with parents and staff members. Our full-time officers, Fred Bastardo and Robert Lee have taken the lead on our local drills, required door audits, student location accountability, intruder alert systems, and reunification procedures,” added Dr. Young.
School security, for many people, is what is going to be an anxiety this school year. The politics over gun-control and school funding is one area. But the community and parental concerns are another. This is a situation that many people want to know is safe and effective to protect students.
“For several years, Brownwood ISD has diligently focused on campus security,” said Dr. Young. “Our fencing upgrades, keyless door installs, and camera upgrade cycles started in 2016. In 2018, we reworked our secure vestibules at all our campuses, added exterior lighting, implemented our RAPTOR visitor system, and hired a second full-time police officer and a third part-time position.”
This is not limited to the school district either. The community plays a big part in school security. Parents, and city officials all have a role to play in the security and safety of our public schools. The benefit of a connected community like Brownwood is that everyone feels the effects of an event and ensures that it does not happen here in the Heart of Texas.
“We are working closely with Mayor Haynes, City Manager Crawford, and Chief Kading on several initiatives within the city,” stated Dr. Young. “We will see our fourth and fifth part-time police officer positions added along with communication equipment upgrades and revised training initiatives.”
Dr. Young added, “We have had several meetings and are working closely with Sheriff Hill and all other Brown County superintendents on standardizing security processes and utilizing all the resources within the county.”
[Story by Jacob Lehrer]