Richardson ISD works to improve campus safety after required state assessment

Richardson ISD staff have begun implementing campus safety improvements following a recent state inspection, according to a presentation at the Jan. 15 school board meeting.

The big picture

Richardson ISD recently underwent a required district vulnerability assessment by the Texas Education Agency to identify opportunities for proactive security improvements.

TEA randomly selects districts for a mandated evaluation every four years in order to evaluate a district’s physical and procedural vulnerabilities, said Mike Jasso, assistant superintendent of district operations. Four representatives from TEA conducted assessments in late October at a majority of Richardson ISD’s campuses, including all secondary schools.

The TEA’s detailed report, which included best practices and corrective actions, was shared with the superintendent and district safety committees.

The details

The TEA representatives inspected facilities, reviewed documents and interviewed staff members to assess the district’s emergency preparedness.

Focus areas of the assessment included:

Secure entry points, visitor management and perimeter security measuresLockdown, evacuation and reunification plansStaff training and drillsAlignment with community emergency management plansAlthough specific details regarding campus vulnerabilities are confidential to the public, Superintendent Tabitha Branum said the areas for improvement were largely administrative. She said the district has already addressed many of the corrective actions, and the board discussed further improvements during a closed session in the Jan. 15 meeting.

In addition to the required inspection, Branum said that Richardson ISD takes regular steps to improve campus safety, including by conducting an internal assessment every three years and mandating an external door audit at each campus every year.

“Reducing the vulnerability of our campuses is an absolute priority,” Branum said. “Our parents and our students and our staff deserve to have an environment where they can walk into the doors [and] know that the right safety protocols are in place so that they can focus on teaching and learning.”