Spring Branch ISD Featured News

The safety of our students is a top priority in Spring Branch ISD today, and has been every day that we’ve existed. We know through an understanding of child psychology that children are more able to learn when they feel safe, cared for and nurtured.

Each and every SBISD employee – all 4,600 of us – has a responsibility to make sure that when students in this community – the 35,000 we serve – are in our care, each of us does everything in our power to make sure they are safe.

SBISD’s Safety Committee met frequently throughout the spring and early summer to review campus and district safety and security plans, protocols and procedures, as well as to study the police force and safety-related facility and technology needs.

Here’s what we’re already doing in SBISD:

• Emphasizing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and mental health supports 
• Training staff in recognizing signs and symptoms of mental health challenges 
• Providing multiple layers of support and training through System of Care team 
• School teams regularly develop safety plans for individual students in crisis 
• SBISD is a “No Place for Hate” district; school teams are mapping out campaigns for school year 
• Partnering with Communities in Schools (CIS) and Community Youth Services (CYS) 
• Every school has a safety plan, based on Department of Homeland Security standards 
• School safety plans are reviewed annually by SBISD Police and teachers and staff are trained on safety protocols 
• Safety drills are conducted every year 
• Principals participate in tabletop drills 
• Reunification drill conducted annually 
• Harris County Department of Education conducts a safety audit every three years 
• Threat information is shared among SBISD Police and local intelligence agencies 
• Inter-local agreements in place with area police agencies 
• Reorganized SBISD Police Department provides more visibility and faster response times 
• Each SBISD officer annually receives active shooter training 
• SBISD Police Chief Bruce Dareing is a member of Texas School Safety and Security Council 
• Provide tours of schools to partner police agencies 
• Anonymous reporting link on every campus home page 
• Updated visitor identification system conducts more thorough background checks and is connected to the SBISD Police Department 

Our Safety Committee also made a number of recommendations, presented to Trustees on July 25 at a workshop meeting. Some of the measures will require funding but most require only manpower and time. Trustees affirmed that their first priority is the safety and security of SBISD students by acknowledging through consensus their approval of the recommendations.

New safety and security measures include:

• More training on mental health, mental health first aid, trauma prevention and intervention, and suicide prevention 
• The development of new partnerships with mental health and social service agencies 
• Educating parents on district and campus safety procedures/establish campus safety committees 
• Training, encouraging and empowering staff to challenge visitors not displaying District ID badges 
• Safety and security training for all district substitute teachers, mentors and volunteers 
• Locking all classroom doors 
• Requiring staff to carry handheld radios to all outside activities 
• Expanding surveillance system/change cameras from analog to digital 
• Updating Emergency Operation Plans (EOP) at all district facilities 
• Evaluating, updating and posting appropriate signage (visitor information, restricted areas, etc.) 
• “Harden” glass at campus entrances and inside vestibules. Repairing/replacing perimeter fencing. 
• Hiring one additional police officer at each comprehensive high school for a total of two at each campus, plus one at Westchester Academy of International Studies 
• Adding SBISD Police sub-station at Westchester Academy 
• Implementation of a social media monitoring tool 

SBISD is not recommending metal detectors for district facilities. We are also not recommending participation in the School Marshal program.

As you can see, some of these recommendations require additional budgeting while others will require only human capital and time to implement. We will bring budget recommendations back to the Board of Trustees in the weeks ahead, while moving forward to begin the process of hiring additional police officers for our comprehensive high schools and WAIS. We also will launch those items that can be implemented without budgetary impact.

Thank you for entrusting your children to us. We look forward to a safe and wonderful school year beginning next Thursday, August 16.