In preparation for the coming school year, the Chapel Hill ISD School Safety and Security Committee recently met to review plans and processes for maintaining a safe and secure school environment. This committee, which consists of law enforcement personnel from local agencies and school personnel involved in security, provided its report to the CHISD School Board on July 25th. Although plans and responses are unpublished to maintain security, Chapel Hill ISD is sharing what it can with the parents and staff to provide assurance to the community.
Chapel Hill Superintendent Daniel Pritchett explained that over the past several years, Chapel Hill ISD has invested in physical security measures to limit and monitor access into and on its campus. “The state recommended that access points into the campus be limited to one or two places,” Pritchett said, “Through the installation of fencing and electronic access readers, we have been able limit entry through only the High School or Elementary Offices.” Door access, cameras, and various building sensors are monitored by security personnel with coordinated response to breaches of that security system. “As always, visitors must check in through the high school or elementary office and access to the campus is limited,” Pritchett said.
Chapel Hill Police Chief Larry Reid discussed the personnel and relationships needed for school safety. “Our officers and staff provide safety to teachers, staff and students by having a visible presence at the school, establishing relationships and being ready to respond to a variety of safety concerns,” Reid said. He also noted that Chapel Hill ISD has other personnel available for more extreme situations, “Several individuals have volunteered and qualified as School Marshals and stand ready to respond immediately to any imminent threat to our students, staff, or visitors.” School Marshals are licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement after completing background checks, psychological evaluation, 80 hours of field training and testing related to threat response.
Pritchett noted that school safety begins with mental and social well-being for students and staff. “Addressing difficulties in relationships and interactions early and directly can not only prevent further frustrations, but prevent escalation to situations threatening school safety,” Pritchett said. He noted that school staff are continuing existing programs for development with students in prevention of bullying and harassment. The school also maintains a threat assessment process to identify potential concerns and responds with resources for assistance as possible and law enforcement response as necessary.
Following the recent active shooter incident at Uvalde ISD, the State of Texas has mandated and strongly recommended several practices to maintain security. “While most of these practices are already in place or being instituted here at Chapel Hill, we continue to review and discuss all potential improvements to our school safety plan,” Pritchett said. About the various safety procedures, Reid said, “We will continue to assure our safety and security protocols are effective and maintained consistently. As we need to adjust practices, we will do so to best protect our students without distraction from learning.” For the 2022-2023 school year, all junior high and high school students are required to wear their id badge visible on their upper torso or waistband – no other specific changes directly impacting students are being announced at this time.
“Active shooter response, evacuation, and reunification processes are being reviewed constantly and personnel are being trained in these areas,” Reid said. Training and drills on these various concerns are required by the state. Resources about school safety are available for parents through the Texas School Safety Center.