SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio school districts are responding to Tuesday's Uvalde tragedy, offering messages of support and unity, and in some cases announcing temporary modified security measures.
At least 21 people, including 19 children, were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, according to law enforcement officials. Several others, both students and adults, are being treated for injuries.
South San ISD officials notified district parents and staff that backpacks will be prohibited on all campuses in the wake of the shooting for the rest of the year, which ends Thursday. That day will be a half-day of instruction for all students, and only parents with "proper identification" will be permitted to be on campus.
“Protecting our students, staff and faculty is a top priority and we will continue to take every and all necessary measures to ensure campus safety every day," SSAISD's statement reads, adding the district will remain vigilant over the next few days.
San Antonio ISD shared the following message on Twitter, saying, "We all are grieving today."
Harlandale ISD's superintendent also assured the district community that law enforcement will be "on high alert" as the school year ends.
In a letter to parents from the Northside ISD superintendent, the district expressed their condolences for the families who lost loved ones and the entire community of Uvalde. Counselors from NISD were sent to Uvalde to support teams in the community.
NISD also listed their following safety protocols that they said they plan to continue to follow:
- Bullet resistant security lobbies and access control technology at every elementary school providing a single point of entry
- Digital video surveillance systems at all Northside schools and on all school buses which are monitored by the NISD Police Dept.
- Lockdown protocols that can be activated throughout any building
- Regularly conducted emergency drills
- Secure classroom door hardware so classrooms can be locked quickly in case of an emergency
- Fully-commissioned police officers assigned to every secondary campus and to elementary clusters
- Campus-specific emergency operations plans that detail staff roles and responsibilities, response protocols and communication processes in emergency situations
The letter is encouraging parents to have regular conversations about reporting threats and social media use. You can do so at the Safeline hotline 24 hours a day at (210) 397-SAFE.
If your child needs support, please reach out to their campus counselor, the letter says.
Other San Antonio-area districts offered support online.