In the wake of the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, where 10 were killed, Gov. Greg Abbott spoke about the need for additional resources and security in schools across the state. Lubbock ISD schools have already been focusing on increased school safety over the past year after the Feb. 14 Parkland, Florida, school shooting.
One of the changes to be expected this fall is four more police officers to LISD’s current patrols. Instead of the school officers rotating around campuses, these four will stay at each of the four LISD high schools.
“First of all, our hearts are broken with everybody else about one more school shooting,” said LISD spokesperson Nancy Sharp. “Something that we certainly don’t want to ever happen in LISD.”
It doesn’t take long after a school shooting to start thinking about how our local schools are prepared. Lubbock ISD takes protecting their campuses seriously.
“We are going through every single school and looking where the vulnerabilities are and what we can do to address those areas,” said Sharp.
LISD also installed extra security cameras and next fall will have increased police presence in schools.
“Certainly safety is top of mind and I think it’s been something we’ve been reiterating to our staff, to our community, it’s going to be a community resolution of what can we do, how can we collaborate with parents and community to help address those concerns,” said Sharp.
Recently, school staff have gone through training addressing active shooters, and they’ve asked the community to discuss school safety in an open forum in April.
“It really requires all of us,” said Sharp. “If it doesn’t seem right, seeing it on social media or seeing something at school or the community. We need to speak up.”
LISD also has multiple ways for students, parents and staff to anonymously report something if they see or something suspicious.
