Dallas ISD pilots TEA safety assessment

BY MARICARMEN EROLES  INSIDE DALLAS ISD

In its continued efforts to prioritize the safety of students and team members, the district conducts regular safety audits throughout the school year. The success of these audits has attracted the attention of the Texas Education Agency, which is developing a statewide vulnerability assessment.

TEA teams of assessors spent a week in Dallas touring district facilities and attending meetings with Operations Division team members to determine the district’s vulnerabilities based on their 11-point assessment that then will be used by school districts across the state.

“Dallas ISD volunteered to be the first in the state to have a vulnerability assessment completed on their district,” said Chip Roberts, TEA senior agent for the North Sector. “Over 100 campuses were assessed last week with the assistance of the School Safety, Resources and Monitoring Department. It is evident that safety is top of mind for district leadership, making Dallas ISD a leader in school safety within the state.”

Dallas ISD has been keeping safety in mind since the 2015 bond, which was used to add doorbells and secure vestibules in schools, work that has continued in subsequent years, said Marlon Brooks, executive director of School Safety, Resources and Monitoring.

“We have been focusing on being proactive,” he said.

Through the years Dallas ISD has enhanced safety at campuses and facilities by making sure that all doors remain secure, installing card readers at secure entrances, updating policies and procedures, developing 3-D maps of facilities, upgrading safety features and other measures.

“The study will help us improve,” Brooks said. “It will help us see if there are any weaknesses we haven’t seen and align what we want to look for in all schools. The pilot will also help students across Texas.”