Texas school shooting: Austin ISD enacts additional protective measures
AUSTIN, Texas - Austin ISD says it will be taking additional measure to keep students and staff safe this week following the mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas, elementary school that left 21 people dead, including 19 children and two teachers.
Additional officers will be put on patrol and supplementing coverage on Austin ISD campuses. High school-based officers will cover elementary schools and middle schools promptly after dismissals at their assigned campuses.
AISD police officers are also following up with campus administrators on safety protocols and emergency plans. There will also be enhanced security at the district's graduation ceremonies, says the district.
There are also safety measures in place already at Austin ISD, including restricted access to all doors at all schools that require authorized key cards to unlock them from the outside. AISD police also monitor social media and respond to every single threat posted online, says the district.
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The district says that in recent years it has made significant investments in making campuses safer, including investing $2 million from the Texas Education Agency grants to install bullet-resistant material at the entryways of all schools. The work on this is expected to finish this summer.
Also, the 2017 Bond contained $22 million to improve security, including new electronic intrusion systems at campuses and facilities districtwide and replacing and upgrading cameras at all campuses, as well as other upgrades to fire safety, says Austin ISD.
The district is asking parents to help keep kids safe by reporting threats on social media or other suspicious behavior by calling AISD Police at 512-414-1703 or by texting Let’s Talk at 512-886-6434.
Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde is the deadliest shooting at a U.S. school since 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut in 2012.