Texas District Encourages Parent Involvement in School Safety
Coppell Independent School District has implemented multiple new safety and security measures recently, and is encouraging parents to take advantage of resources to get them involved.
- By Jessica Davis
- April 22, 2019
Coppell Independent School District has recently implemented multiple new safety and security measures. Among the changes are measures that encourage parents to be aware and involved in their students’ school safety experience.
Safety wands are now being used at the high schools, new safety blinds have been added to two campuses and a flashing crosswalk has been added at New Tech Night @ Coppell to ensure students can safety get from the parking lot to the school itself.
CISD has also streamlined student entrances and exits at Coppell High School, conducted more standard response protocol trainings at each campus, added school resource officers and improved security protocols at district athletic facilities.
“School safety is about being aware, being prepared and being alert,” said Rachael Freeman, CISD safety and security coordinator. “Working together with our community helps us all work towards a common goal of being safe and secure in our schools, and any enhanced or additional efforts help us achieve this objective.”
CISD encourages parents to use the district’s parent tool kit, which provides them with resources on academics, social/emotional skills, health and wellness, financial skills and college/career planning. According to Freeman, the toolkit also gives parents tools to discuss tough topics with their children.
Freeman said safety remains a priority for the district. The district’s Safety and Security Committee holds regular meetings to discuss ongoing campus safety efforts.
According to Freeman, CISD is investing in an internal safety and security app to help streamline emergency plans and alerts for district buildings and staff. The district is also working on a standard response protocol training for parents, which would give parents insight into what their children are drilled on and what they would do in case of an on-campus emergency.
The district is working to improve security and safety, but Freeman said parents are also an important part of the process.
“The best thing that parents can do to increase safety is to stay involved in their learner’s life,” Freeman said. “By keeping an open line of communication, kids are more likely to talk to their parents about issues that they encounter. This community has tons of resources available for all sorts of different scenarios. If parents are at a loss and are unsure of what to do, our school administrators and counselors are well versed on what resources are available in the community.”
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.