South Texas Schools Boost Security Following Santa Fe Shooting

South Texas Schools Boost Security Following Santa Fe Shooting

Schools in South Texas are boosting security following the school shooting that killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School.

With just a little over one week of school left for many Texas schools, districts sounding the Santa Fe area are stepping up security on campus to ensure the safety of students for the last few days of class following the school shooting at Santa Fe High School that killed 10 people and injured 13 more.

Multiple districts have released statements regarding security, most districts are focusing on backpacks and bags as well as staffing the campus with armed security for the rest of the school year.

In Aldine ISD, students will see an increase in the amount of patrol officers around campus as well as use of the metal detectors already placed at the entrances of the school. The school district stressed that officers have been through active shooter training and reminded parents to be compliant with campus procedures and routines when visiting the school.

At Bay City ISD schools, no student will be allowed to bring a backpack for the last week of school, May 21 - 25 in order to regulate what items are coming into the school buildings. The school district is also working with local law enforcement to provide an increased security presence.

In Cy-Fair school district, the school is cracking down on dress code, asking students to avoid wearing heavy clothing such as trench coats, that could possibly conceal a weapon. "While we want students to dress in clothing that is comfortable in their learning environment, we feel any extra safety measure that assists our officers and administrators should be utilized," the school district said in a press release.

Houston ISD has released a statement about the steps it has already taken to ensure an emergency incident such a the one at Santa Fe High School doesn't happen at one of its own campuses. The district has increased the number of active emergency drills, selected, trained and activated a standing Emergency Response Team to respond to threats districtwide and has conducted realistic, hands-on officer training on how to react to an armed assailant.

The Texas City school district has asked parents to monitor their children's social media accounts and remind them to be respectful online. "In the event [your child] sees a post that is suspicious or threatening, tell them not to share it, but rather report it immediately to you or a trusted adult," the district said in a statement.

 

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”