Back-to-school: Austin ISD leaders talk safety, school zone changes

AUSTIN, Texas - Tuesday, August 19 is the first day of school for Austin ISD and safety is on everyone's mind.

What we know:

District leaders say they're doing everything possible to keep kids safe both on the way to school and in school as several changes take effect this school year.

School zone changes

Blazier Elementary and Intermediate Schools look a little different outside compared to last year. Now there's a pedestrian crossing island, improved roundabout, and school zone beacons.

Those projects were accomplished with a mobility bond. They're part of the Safe Routes to School program, which manages infrastructure, crossing guards, and safety education. 

Morgan Corpus has children going into first and fourth grades. She says she likes the changes but feels it's incomplete. 

"I live in the neighborhood that's behind the campuses, the signs say school zone starts and then it stops. But I'm still walking. I still have my kids," she said. "We were kind of like, 'this is cool. We're so excited, but wait, shouldn't it go all the way down?'"

She was able to talk to staff as district leaders gave an update on back-to-school safety. 

"I'm so glad that I now have faces and names. They emailed me right away and said, let's talk, let's understand what your concerns are," Corpus said.

School bus safety

School bus safety is of interest after a Leander ISD bus rolled over last week and hospitalized several children and the bus driver.

AISD Superintendent Matias Segura says they've been revamping their buses for years with seatbelts and air-conditioning.

"I just want everybody to know that we take it very, very seriously. It's unfortunate when things like this happen, but for us, it's ensuring that our students are in the best position possible to be safe," Segura said. 

The district says safety training starts from the day drivers start, and they have to do refresher training too.

When it comes to making sure kids are wearing seatbelts, "it is very hard to do that for a driver to look at every child while driving the school bus, so we need the help of our public and everyone to make sure that happens," Kris Hafezizadeh, executive director of transportation at AISD, said.

The district is urging parents to talk to their kids about how to safely cross the street and where their bus stop is. If there's a spot you notice continual speeding, you can report it to law enforcement.

Safety inside schools

District leaders are also preparing for safety inside the school.

"Every threat, no matter when it happens, how it's reported, is taken seriously and investigated to the full extent," AISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed said.

Speak up if you see something. "Safety is not just a police matter. It's a community commitment," Sneed said.

As a cell phone ban goes into effect this year, AISD's policy is that phones have to be off in a backpack. "It's a good balance of not having it out, but also in the event that it's needed, we can get to it," Segura said.

Violations will mean confiscation. At Thursday's Board of Trustees meeting, they'll vote on disciplinary measures. 

While Corpus's kids don't have phones yet, she agrees there should be balance. 

"There needs to be a fine line between yes, it needs to put away during hours, but it can't not be there at all. In this day and age and technology, students and parents need to be able to reach each other if something happens," she said. "Especially on those older age levels, I am kind of nervous to see how that plays out the next couple of years, but thankfully it doesn't directly impact me right now."