Texas Education Agency began planning on random checks from all school buildings to identify any weak points and report them to the school district and state.
Associate Principal of Operations Brad Milam said the state performs random checks to locate any weak points and report them to the school district.
“The group that is supervising all schools said, ‘OK, we’re gonna check this school over this time.’ We never know when they’re coming.” Milam said. “It’s unannounced, nobody knows when they’re gonna show up, not even the district has information when they’re gonna come.”
The purpose of these audits is to ensure it can find any vulnerabilities of potential weakness in school security measures. In response to the need for stricter control and the increase of security, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 11. According to the new school safety bill, 25% will receive in-depth audits from the newly created Office of School Safety and Security.
In the article from the Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/01/texas-greg-abbott-school-security-uvalde/ . Gov. Greg Abbott’s spokesperson Renea Eze said, “Until now, the Texas School Safety Center has been reviewing school district emergency operations plans following the passage of SB 11 in 2019. This is an audit of the implementation of t hose plans, specifically targeted to access control procedures.”
The school safety audits are essential to ensure the well-being of students, staff, and visitors within the school foundation. By conducting audits, schools can identify and address problems, creating a safe environment that provides for quality education for all schools.
In his letter to Texas School Safety Center director Kathy Martinez-Prather in 2022, Abbott said the tragedy in Uvalde demanded action.
“The State must work beyond writing words on paper and ensuring that the laws are being followed; it must also ensure that a culture of constant vigilance is engrained in every campus and in every school district employee across the state,” Abbott said.
