Austin-area school districts increase law enforcement presence after Uvalde shooting
With the last day of school and graduation ceremonies around the corner for many Central Texas school districts, officials increased law enforcement presence on some campuses in the wake of the deadly shooting Tuesday at a Uvalde elementary school.
Several districts such as Austin, Hays, Leander and Pflugerville increased the number of officers at some campuses and for graduation ceremonies. Some districts, including Leander, were holding graduation ceremonies Wednesday.
Officers who serve at Austin school district high schools that are closing over the next three days will be redeployed to elementary and middle schools, said district spokesperson Jason Stanford. That is in addition to normal security measures, such as locking all doors and monitoring social media for threats.
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"It's an emotional day, and I remember walking my kids to school the day after Sandy Hook. And that was 10 years ago," Stanford said. "On the one hand, this is heartbreaking. On the other hand, it's infuriating, because we are constantly improving our security measures at school, and I don't see that happening outside the schools."
Austin school district community members can text 512-886-6434 with any safety and security questions.
The Pflugerville school district is approaching its last two days of the school year and has coordinated with the Pflugerville Police Department to increase patrol units around campuses for the next two days.
"We have also received word from state officials that (Texas Department of Public Safety) troopers will have heightened presence across the state around schools within their normal patrol routes, and we have had some troopers visit our campuses this morning already," Pflugerville school district spokesperson Tamra Spence told the American-Statesman on Wednesday.
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DPS officials did not return a call for comment Wednesday.
School district officials across the area reaffirmed safety measures to families and provided resources for families navigating grief and seeking to talk to their children about the school shooting in Uvalde.
"We tried to extend our condolences, assure parents what we're doing to keep our campuses safe, and provide resources they might need, because it's impossible to keep this kind of news even from the youngest children at this point," said Jenny LaCoste-Caputo, a Round Rock school district spokesperson.
The Hays school district sent families an email notifying them of additional security presence on campuses "as a precaution and a show of solidarity by our local partners in law enforcement," according to the email and an additional email detailing security measures.
Examples of district safety protocols include security vestibules where people cannot enter without being buzzed in, bullet-resistant glass film, security monitors at front offices, and upgraded security cameras and phone systems. Hays also has school-specific committees that parents can be a part of to improve safety measures.
"It has become a part of the entire educational process," Hays Superintendent Eric Wright said of active shooter drills and training for students. "We want our students to be prepared and trained so that in the event something like this happens we can minimize the total scope."
Increased security measures after 2018
School safety in Texas schools has long been a concern, especially after the 2018 mass shooting in the Houston area, when eight students and two teachers were fatally shot at Santa Fe High School.
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The Texas Education Agency has been issuing grants as part of its 2019-2021 Safety and Security program. Round Rock was one recipient of a $815,311 grant used to purchase and install bulletproof film over the glass doors and windows at the entrance of elementary schools, LaCoste-Caputo noted.
Austin received $2 million as well for bullet-resistant material at the entryways of schools, and that installation is nearly complete, Stanford said. Leander received $647,741 to upgrade its security badge system and add cameras, spokesperson Rachel Acosta said Wednesday.
Many of the security measures listed in the Hays email, such as the committees and the creation of a district office of safety and security, came about after the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida and the Santa Fe High shooting. The Hays district reconfigured and renovated for greater security schools built in the 1980s. Voter-approved bonds in 2014, 2017 and 2020 included improved security measures, and cameras and perimeter fencing were funded through grants.
"I think the short answer is the evolution of school safety and school security probably really begins with Columbine in terms of an active shooter, and I think that you've seen a lot of changes over the years that have brought us to where we are," Hays spokesperson Tim Savoy said, referencing the 1999 school shooting in Colorado that killed 12 students and a teacher.
Pflugerville also invested in school safety as part of 2014 and 2018 bonds.
The Round Rock district launched its Police Department in February 2020, just weeks before schools closed due to the pandemic. Officials hired the inaugural school district police chief in August 2020 and had, throughout the pandemic, built up the police force even as students switched to virtual learning, LaCoste-Caputo said.
"We do everything — everything — we can," LaCoste-Caputo said. "We will certainly be doing more; that'll be a big topic this summer."
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Contact Nusaiba Mizan at nmizan@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @nusaiblah.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin school districts increase law enforcement after Uvalde shooting
