HOUSTON — Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the head of the Texas School Safety Center to immediately start conducting "comprehensive school safety reviews" across the state.
The reviews include working with the Texas Education Agency to do "in-person, unannounced, random intruder detection audits."
The Texas School Safety Center has been around for more than 20 years. In a letter, Abbott said the center's work and training have reached thousands of schools and millions of Texas students.
Abbott also wrote that in the wake of the Uvalde tragedy, we all need to do more.
At Texas State University, employees inside a small building on the edge of campus are leading the effort to make schools across Texas safer.
“It’s very personal to everyone who works here,” one worker said during a 2012 interview.
Texas lawmakers created the Texas School Safety Center after the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. It’s a research center funded each year by the state budget and grants. It combines training, research and online resources to help schools develop emergency plans required by state law.
“We also, on a daily basis, work with schools and the struggles that they’re having -- let’s say with bullying, cyberbullying, gang violence -- issues that are beyond their control. Weather-related emergencies, hurricanes, tornadoes and helping them better be prepared and prepare and mitigate any of those emergencies,” the employee said.
Every three years, school districts must complete safety and security audits of their buildings. The most recent one found only about one out of every five districts in Texas have a viable active shooter policy. Uvalde’s school district was one of them.
In the letter, Abbott asked the safety center director to make sure districts:
- Review their emergency operations plan and address any safety needs
- Make sure the School Behavioral Threat Assessment Team is trained and up to speed on procedures
- Schedule all safety drills before the start of the next school year
- Assess how they allow access to campus
- Report back to the safety center by Sept. 9
The Texas School Safety Center said it received Abbott's letter and “shares his desire to ensure the safety and security of our schools. TxSSC is designing a program and action items to specifically address the governor’s directives within the prescribed timelines.”
A spokesperson said they couldn’t do an interview because their staff’s schedules are devoted to programming and initiatives right now. The center will also not comment on the Robb Elementary shooting because there’s an ongoing investigation.