Lockhart ISD changes notification protocols following school threats
LOCKHART, Texas (KXAN) — The Lockhart Independent School District has changed the notification protocol of its crisis response strategy following what it calls a “gap in the notification procedure” relating to threats made to Lockhart High School Thursday.
Lockhart High School was temporarily locked down Thursday afternoon due to reports of a threat, which the Lockhart Police Department ultimately deemed noncredible.
According to Lockhart ISD, a screenshot of a text containing “vague details” of a threat from an unidentifiable source circulated among students Thursday, which prompted the administration to call the lockdown.
The ISD said no student was hurt or injured.
The district also investigated a separate social media post containing vague messaging from an unidentifiable source Thursday evening. Lockhart PD also deemed this report noncredible.
The district said as soon as the lockdown was initiated Thursday, Lockhart PD was notified, and the district began contacting all Lockhart High School families. Nearby campuses Clear Fork Elementary, Navarro Elementary, and the Cub House were placed in “secure” status — meaning operations remained normal, but students and staff stayed inside, and no one was allowed in or out of the building — out of an abundance of caution, as well.
Lockhart ISD said it reviewed its crisis response strategies Thursday evening and “recognized a gap in the notification procedure.” It said Clear Fork, Navarro, and Cub House families did not receive direct notification of the schools’ secure status. The district said from now on, all campuses will receive texts, calls, and emails whenever they are placed in any safety
response protocol – not just for a lockdown.
Parents can utilize the “ALERT LISD” feature on the lockhartisd.org website to report a potential threat.
Starting Friday, the Lockhart Police Department will station officers on and around
campuses. Additionally, the Lion Guard – a program consisting of parents and community
volunteers similar to Watch D.O.G.S. – will serve as an extra set of eyes and ears at our schools
in the coming weeks. Parents can volunteer for the Lion Guard to serve as safety monitors at school campuses.
The district said it decided not to cancel school Friday, stating “When it is safe to come to school, we must do so, and we are confident that our schools are safe.” It also noted that canceling school for noncredible and vague threats increases the chances of others
copycatting such behavior and continuing the types of incidents that led to the lockdown.
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