One of the most challenging aspects of being a school administrator is addressing the ongoing concerns about student and staff security
When I moved into my position as the Assistant Superintendent in Longview ISD, one of my tasks was to re-evaluate the safety and security of our campuses.
Longview ISD sits in the piney woods of east Texas along the I-20 Corridor and is one of the largest school districts in East Texas. It has a very diverse population of over 8,000 students and 1,200 staff members, and it encompasses 14 campuses and numerous auxiliary buildings which serve students.
The challenge I faced with safety measures dealt mainly with the lack of consistency in safety and security practices throughout the district and the varied needs for the many campuses.
As I began my review, I determined that all of the necessary safety and security tools were current. Locking doors, cameras, security officers, check in systems and security plans were all in place. As I compared our district to numerous other districts that had experienced school shootings and disasters, I realized that each had basically the same procedures and practices in place, yet shootings had still occurred.
(Next page: How Campus Counts keeps students safe)
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