CISD working with first responders on school safety

Cameron ISD will host area first responders in a meeting and tour of facilities on Aug. 1 in an effort to ramp up collaboration between them and the school district to keep students safe.

Yoe High Assistant Principal Brian Stork told Cameron Independent School District Board of Trustees members about the meeting and ongoing efforts to keep students safe while they are on campus during the board’s meeting on June 11.

Stork said the event will gather all first responders including Cameron Police, Milam County Sheriff’s Office, Cameron Fire Department, Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers, Emergency Management and EMS to give them the chance to hear about CISD’s plans should there be the need for their response in an emergency situation. They will also be able to tour the district’s facilities to get a first-hand look at what they will be dealing with.

CISD Superintendent Allan Sapp said that the chiefs from all area first responders already meet monthly with school district officials in an effort to collaborate.

“School safety is on the forefront of everybody’s mind these days,” Stork said. “It was unfortunately brought too close to home recently. As Governor Abbott released his plans, we got together to see where we are at, because we want to be in compliance and offer safe facilities for our kids. We are on track for what they are recommending.”

Stork said all first responders will be shown the plan with handouts and a power point presentation for all emergency situations. 

“There are a lot of times where we have plans,” he said. “Out teachers know our plans but the people who might be responding to our campuses might not know our plans. We want to make sure they all understand what we are doing.”

Stork said it will be an informational meeting with the opportunity for everyone to take their suggestions to their respective chiefs and they will discuss it in their monthly meetings.

He said they want to be open to the first responders so they know where everything is – security systems, cameras, chemicals – so they are not flying blind when they enter a campus.

Stork said the Cameron Police Department is going to come in and train staff on what a lockdown looks like so they will know what to expect if it is ever needed. They will do that training campus by campus.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Stork said. “We will begin construction on the new secure entrance to Yoe High this summer to make it look like the other campuses.”

Stork said the kiosk at the front of the building will be the only entrance into the high school with a double entrance that is similar to the elementary school entrances and that Faye Ellison will be there at the kiosk to allow people into the school.

Stork said one of the recommendations made by Abbott was to train staff in mental health issues and that head counselor Melissa Shelton has already been to train the trainer training to help with that on all campuses.

“We have to look at how we train our staff and faculty,” he said. “These issues have to be addressed. If we see mental health needs we have to take the right tone and response with our students.”

Stork said the district already started that training in February.

He said he has already spoken with Police Chief Lonnie Gosch to have more of a presence at all campuses, saying that the high school students are already used to them being there and they know that if they are on campus it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong.

Stork said they are currently working to replace all keys that staff has to Yoe High with security cards. It will be electronic entry and it will open and close the doors. This will help with securing the hundreds of doors at Yoe High. The district has also added radios for communication between campuses and administration in the event of an emergency.

“The plan has been developed throughout the years by the chiefs,” Sapp said. “But we felt it would be good to get everybody together to make sure they are all on the same page and talk through it.”

Board president James Burks said that there is no absolute way to be prepared for everything and that he sees mental health as the key.

Board member Alan Patterson asked if there is any staff training available to identify mental health issues before they become an issue. 

“Nobody likes to think of any child in school would be capable of doing that, so it is easy to see how a child can slip through the cracks,” Patterson said. “But if they are trained to see that maybe this kid has had a change and we can keep a closer eye on those kids.”

Stork said they are working on that with Shelton’s training to look at changes in students. 

Cameron Junior High Principal Wendy Mahan said that teachers already complete modules for child abuse and suicide awareness and that those things hit on the tip of this and as this becomes more prevalent that mental health will be included.

“I think one thing our teachers do an amazing job with here is developing relationships with these kids,” Stork said.

Sapp said he wants the community to know that the district has been and is working on making the campuses as safe as possible for all students.

“When you bring your kids to school in the morning and let them out of the car you are concerned,” Burks said. “The way things are happening they want to know what we are going to do.”

Burks asked if there were armed officers on campus during the day and asked if that could be looked into. Board member Jason Dohnalik said that maybe the district should look into partnering with the city to have security or a resource officer on campus.

Stork said it is a hit and miss unless there is someone on every campus because there are problems across all campuses and will that person be at the right spot at the right time? He said that the response time from first responders because of the campuses proximity is going to be good.

Sapp reminded everyone to be alert and remember if you see something, say something. 

In other business the board also heard reports from Athletic Director Tommy Brashear and CTE Director Kenneth Driska.