A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Clear to partly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Clear to partly cloudy. Low 71F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph.

As promised last Spring, Kerrville Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Foust announced a comprehensive, updated school safety plan ahead of the upcoming school year, citing public and staff input as basis for decisions made.

“The safety and security of our students and staff continues to be at the forefront of our thoughts as we begin the 2022-23 school year. We are grateful for the nearly 400 survey responses we received from parents and staff this summer. Your voice matters and your input and feedback is vital. I would like to share the most recent update on our work related to school safety over the last two months,” Foust said in a written statement. “This summer, KISD had several meetings with representatives from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, the Kerrville Police Department and other local emergency personnel to discuss updates to our school safety plans. We also met to review mass event school evacuation and reunification procedures and conducted a reunification site walk-through in July.”

Foust provided lengthy, detailed actions that will be implemented in the 2022-23 school year.

“In late July, we met with KISD campus and department leaders to review our updated safety procedures and to implement safety changes we have made in the district,” Foust said. “Some of the changes will be in place before school starts and some of the safety upgrades will be implemented during the first semester (or as soon as possible). Below is a list of projects and initiatives to improve safety in KISD.”

 Summer projects expected to be completed by August 15, 2022

• Audit, inspection and repair of all exterior door locks and closing mechanisms for all campuses;

•    Established a new system to track daily/weekly exterior door inspections at each campus;

• Require all classroom doors to remain locked and closed during the instructional day;

• A mandatory Campus Summer Safety Audit process was provided by the TX School Safety Center. Campuses will complete a thorough inspection of the instructional facilities and their campus safety protocols;

• New interior locking classroom door handles/locks at Tivy High School;

• New perimeter fencing and gates to enclose the outdoor Ag and Auto Mechanics classrooms and workshop bays at Tivy High School;

• New interior locking classroom door handles/locks at Hal Peterson MS;

• Replace glass with ballistic glass at key entry points in the academic wings of Hal Peterson MS;

• New security vestibule at the Early Childhood Center;

• Training for all staff on Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Citizen Response to Active Shooter Event (CRASE). These drills are designed to equip staff to respond in emergencies;

• Bullying Awareness and Prevention Training for all campus staff;

• Trauma Informed Care training for campus instructional and office staff to provide strategies for working with students in crisis;

• Pre-scheduling of all campus required safety drills for the entire school year;

• New Mental Health Resources for teachers (Dr. Mock) and for staff through TRS Active-Care;

• Additional campus signage for visitors directing all visitors to check in at the front office;

• Allow KPD real-time access to campus camera systems.

that will be implemented or

completed in the Fall of 2022

• This Fall we will be adding 7-foot fencing around the perimeter of playground areas at our four elementary schools. Each campus has a unique fencing layout. For example, Tom Daniels 4th/5th grade annex building will now be fenced in with the play areas and main building;

• An Inter-local agreement was made with the City of Kerrville (KPD) to add two new School Resource Officers to cover the elementary schools. These officers will be available as soon as KPD is fully staffed; they are anticipated to be trained and on campus some time during the Fall semester;

• We have created a new Safe Supportive Schools Program Coordinator position who will start their new role during the Fall of 2022;

• Provide all students with grade level appropriate training on Citizen Response to Active Shooter Event (CRASE) and Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and train students on expectations for campus safety (such as keeping doors secure and not opening campus doors for visitors);

• Expand campus Threat Assessment teams and transition from reactive to proactive practices;

• Begin implementation of the Sandy Hook Promise “Say Something” program;

• New School Safety Volunteer Programs (i.e. “Dads on Duty”) for elementary schools to have an additional adult patrol/presence on campus during the school day;

• Expansion of TCHAAT (Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine) access for students which offers virtual counseling services for public school students;

• Expand walkthroughs with KPD and local first responders to have site visits at each campus to prepare for emergency response at each unique facility;

• Create Campus “Go Bags” for KPD to have access to campus specific breach and tactical equipment for an active shooter response.

• Add bullet-resistant film to glass at each campus for added perimeter security in areas with floor-to-ceiling glass;

• Explore the School Marshall Program that would allow for trained and certified employees to have access to an approved sidearm on campus. This new initiative is estimated to take more than nine months to investigate and implement;

• Explore silent alarm technology and alternative emergency notification systems;

• Continue to seek additional mental health resources for students and staff;

For more details and important back-to-school information, visit www.kerrvilleisd.net.   

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