The Round Rock school district doesn’t plan any major security changes in the wake of the Uvalde shooting in May, However, officials said they are working to increase training received by police officers and district staff to ensure everyone’s safety and security.
Currently, officers attend a variety of active-shooter trainings and new hires come to the district with prior active-shooter training,Maritza Gallega, a district spokesperson. District Police Chief Dennis Weinersaid he would look to make more officers attend active-shooter trainings throughout the year.
Safety protocols to address shootings and other catastrophes have been in place for years in the district, officialssaid. They include a standard response protocol for lockdowns across campuses and emergency operation plans for various scenarios, such as an active threat, a bomb threat and shelter-in-place.
Other safety measures include new video call buttons at school entrances and locks that lock from both sides, which were added in 2020 following the passage of a 2018 bond dedicated to school safety. The district will continue to roll out enhancements it deems are needed throughout the school year, such as new cameras on campuses, said Weiner, who was named the district’s police chief in mid-July.
“What we are focusing on right now is to make sure we get all the security enhancements in place that we’ve already decided are needed,” Weiner said. “We weren’t waiting for an incident like Uvalde to start moving in the direction of enhanced security.”
In the two months since a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, a Texas House committee report on the May 24 shooting detailed “systemic and egregious failures” in security.
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The district also will be expanding its standard response training to include bus drivers and department staff, Gallega said. The district has begun discussions of requiring students to wear badges at all times. Currently only staff members must do so.
The Texas Education Agency is requiring all districts to conduct a exterior door safety audit. For the new school year, the district will be inspecting all doors that lead to outside to make sure they are closed and locked at every school facility at least once a week, according to district officials. The district also is required to have one secured drill, where entry is denied to anyone around the perimeter of a school, and two lockdown drills per year. Campuses practice one evacuation drill each month, according to the district’s website.
As part of the national conversation about school safety following the Uvalde shooting, some groups have cautioned that not everyone feels safer with law enforcement on campus.
The school district currently has 23 police officers with eight openings, according to district officials. Weiner said it is too early to say if the district will increased police presence on campuses. Currently, police officers are stationed at the middle school and high school campuses. Patrol officers are in place in areas near the elementary schools to respond if needed, and conduct random checks on campuses routinely.
“I really want to have some time to asses the current environment,” Weiner said. “At the end of the day,the most important thing is a secure learning environment for our students and a safe environment for our staff to work in.”
Most research has shown that having police on campus doesn’t improve safety and can lead to an increase in disciplinary actions, especially for students with disabilities, students of color or LGBTQ students, according to the Intercultural Development Research Association.
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Esmeralda Rubalcava, a parent of two in theRoundRockschool district, says increasingpolicepresencein schools would not improve campus safety, and coulddisproportionally affect those of marginalized identities, such as her children.
While she agrees that somesecurity measures are necessary, she does not think the district is doing enough to ensure the safety of marginalized students’ safety.
Rubalcava thinks the district should instead focus on providing students, families and staff with the resources to ensure every student has food, a roof over their head and a proper support system.
“We’re talking about securing schools not only from potential threats outside of the school, but also from kids within,” Rubalcava said.
Currently the district has 14 social workers who work with the district’s Police Department to identify find non-law enforcement solutions to address student needs and promote positive outcomes properly, district officials said.
Additionally, 50% of officers in the district are certified mental health officers and have experience with crisis negotiation. Weiner said he will look for more opportunities to train his officers to help identify factors that can help prevent a violent incident taking place on campus.
The district has also implemented an anonymous reporting tool where students, parents and teachers can report a safety and security concern such as bullying, cyberbullying, depression, dating violence, drug or alcohol use, threats against the school, weapons on campus and more, Gallega said.
“Our goals is to make sure that we are providing not just actual security but the perception of security and safety,” Weiner said. “Unless our students feel safe on campus they’re not going to be focused on learning, and that’s what is most important to us for a successful outcome.”
