Please click on the link for information on DISD's Comprehensive Safety Plan.

 

 DISD Safety Plan  

 

On Monday, Aug. 26, 2024, Mr. Thomas held a Safety TownHall

Mr. Thomas started the meeting at 6:05 p.m.
Purpose/Goal of Meeting
To provide a safety update that prioritize the safety of student.
To ensure that the community voice and concern are heard in a safe and organized manner.
Timeline of events that happened on the 23rd
Lieutenant of Police: Terri Thomas: (972) 749-2345
  • At 8:12 a.m., See something, Say something worked.
  • Student brought gun to school
  • Assistant Principal reported the gun to the campus officer.
  • The student was removed from the classroom and taken to the office in a secure location
  • Secured and confirmed the gun was real
  • 8:16 Campus Police Officer contacted dispatch and reported the gun on campus
  • 8:16 Principal Thomas notified
  • 8:16 closed the channel, activated a code 3 and gave it top priority
  • 8:20 reduced code because officers arrived on campus
  • 8:21 provided serial numbers for the gun to be checked
  • 8:48 student transported to DISD to police station
  • Within about 30 minutes, the situation was cleared.
    ==========
  • Later in the meeting this was also said by a deputy police chief:
  • Parents are not facing charged because the gun didn’t come from the parents
  • The scholar faces a misdemeanor A charge until that case is adjudicated
  • It is still under investigation.
Safety Upgrades
  • Metal detectors for grades 6-8 installed on Monday
  • Backpack wanding and searches for grades 3-5
  • New camera installation
  • Increased personnel for arrival
  • Revised personnel schedules
  • “See something, say something” signs posted
Security on campus
  • Vestibule
  • Key card access
  • Cameras
  • Raptor system
  • ID gadgets for employees
  • Metal detectors and wands
  • Clear/mesh backpacks.
  • Campus officer
Training and Drills for staff
  • Aug. 20: Safety training
  • Aug. 21: Fire Drill
  • Aug. 22: Evacuation drill
  • Daily door checks
  • Perimeter lockdown
  • Hallway sweeps
See something say something
See it. Report it.
https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/.../say-something.../
Mobile app Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details...
Mobiel app Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/say-something-shp/id1216883910
Website: https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/say-something-tips/
Call: 1-844-5-SayNow
Staff training
  • Staff huddle/check-ins
  • Raptor alert Assistant Principal
  • Safety drills/protocols
  • Communication
Student Voices
  • Will continue to push "See something, say something"
  • At the beginning of the year, they speak to the students
  • Will start SAVE promise club (student Council led). They will meet monthly as a club and with the principal. Committee will plan school-wide actives that place an emphasis on school safety at the campus throughout the year.
What can parents do?
  • Take part in the school safety committee through the Site-Based Decision Making, an organization that is parent-led. Our SBDM Committee meets the 1st Thursdays each month - except for Jan. 2025, when we will meet Jan. 9. Agendas will be shared 1 week in advance. Contact Martha Martha Zapata Guerrero for more details.
  • Speak with your sons about the dangers of different weapons
  • Be SMART initiative
  • Secure
  • Model
  • Ask
  • Recognize
  • Tell
Side note: We live in a society that guns are glorified. We need to make sure the boys understand the pressures of what is involved. I didn’t want to touch guns. I was 30 years old before I tried them and only under my father’s guidance of the dangers of guns. I know sometimes we want to shelter the boys, but THEY KNOW. So let’s make sure we express to them the dangers around guns.
Plan of Action
  • Trained campus staff on backpack searches and response to metal detectors
  • Full-time officer in place since first day of school.
  • Arrival process will be periodically added by campus and central staff.
  • Central office plan of action
  • Implement standard operating procedures (SOP) for morning arrival, let arrival, visitor and re-entry
Mental Health and Councelsing Services
Director of Clinical Services (School): Laura Jordan, M.A., LCSW-S spoke: We work closely with counselors to make sure we are meeting the needs of the campus. Our clinician was here all day. She responded right away.
Mental Health Services: 972-502-4190, dallasisd.org/mentalhealth
Communications:
You should opt-in for real-time text messages for emergencies. This is in Power School. If you need help getting in, contact the office. https://dallasisd.powerschool.com/public/home.html
Sign up for Remind messages: Send text 81010, text message spb24-25.
To submit safety ideas:
Bit.ly/solarsafetymeeting
Dr. Brian Lusk, Deputy Superintendent: Heartfelt thank you. I can tell as I sit here today. Mr. Thomas is an outstanding principal, as well as his team. The actions were very swift, appropriate and thoughtful. They moved quickly to make sure this situation was rectified.

Q&A

What is the procedure in the morning?
Pre-k through 2nd grades walk into the campus. Most younger kids only have a folder, but we are looking at the backpacks.No plans to wand those scholars at this time.
Wanding 3rd-5th.
6th-8th will go through metal detectors.
YMCA safety protocols. Mr. Thomas asked for some additional information via email.
We can’t mention anything about scholars, because of privacy concerns.
This was the first time something like this has happened at the school.
How was the student disciplined? Dallas ISD operates under the student code of conduct. This is a level 4 mandatory expellable offense. When this happens, students are assigned to the juvenile justice education center.
Why don’t we have all grades go through the metal detector? We are only mandating for our middle school. This is district policy. ******We also want to make sure we think about the emotional well being of our scholars.******
What is the district protocol for active training? We have a system in place, where we utilize software to run through a drill. We do trainings with the scholars and will alert you when we conduct the safety training.
Has a student brought a weapon previously? We’ve had one prior threat, and then this incident that occurred on Friday.
Can you speak to the motive/intent of the student? Can’t speak to the details because of the ongoing investigation.
We practice to ensure that when we are in those situations, we react to the situation.
How will we know that the school administration is being diligent? When you come in and drop off birthday cupcakes, you are going to have to go through the metal detectors. We are ensuring the extra level of safety to make sure our scholars are protected.
How do we make students feel safe to say something? Make sure they are here for brotherhood circle and thrive time. The first part of the day is building relationships, with our whole family and then our class family. There may be some outliers don’t feel as close as quick, but it is important it is feel like they are part of a family. You are your brother’s keeper, and we hold you accountable.
Mental health services: We direct them to the counselor. They are provided the opportunity to speak if the student wanted to speak.
SIDE NOTE: I’ve come up in a society that discards individuals not giving an opportunity for reformation. Not saying what happened in this particular instance. … there are some things I am zero tolerant about… but I realize we are all flawed human beings. Again, I know in this particular incident… I am not speaking directly in this particular instance. "Scholar did something and we have to get rid of them." We are developing young men to learn from their mistakes….
What took so long for you to communicate what happened? We have to follow protocol. We are gathering all of these different viewpoints. The lat thing I want to do is give you invalid information, or half information. When we send it out to you, you have all the information possible.
Also, sign up for the Remind channel, where this information is sent out: spb24-25
Will the school talk to the students? The talk should come from families. We will address the overarching theme of the effects of guns.
Does school have plans to send home gun safety information? Yes, we will have parent meetings in the future with Mr. Williams. Prefer to not send home adult information with scholars, who might read it.
Teachers will not be trained to be armed.
Students have option to get mental health services on campus, as well as through Mr. Williams.
How can we help? What else do you need? Your support tonight is step 1. Continuing to have conversations with your son. It really is a home conversation. I’ll leave it up to you on how in-depth you want to go. It is not SNITCHING. You are information to make sure everyone is safe. We are talking about it here, so it helps to reinforce it at home.
How long will backpack checks take? We did our first one this morning, and it was SMOOTH Day 1. I expect it to get better and better. There was a slight line for middle school, but we got everyone in at the normal time.
What about the students that saw the weapons? We have spoken with the scholar that saw the weapon. We are open to have more discussions with the kids that reported the gun, if the parents want it.
Will there be an official statement of the events that occurred? We are not trying to hide anything that happened, there are just certain things by law we aren’t able to disseminate to you.
Have the boys been made aware of the incident? We haven’t made a broad broadcast of what occurred. If you wanted to, you may feel free to do so. They were not aware of the situation of the day of the event.
Why was a letter sent home? We have been trying to over communicate. Remind message and letter.
Closing Comments
Thank you for your presents and support. I know this is not a situation we don’t want to have, but unfortunately it has made its way into our home. We continue to pour into your children. Safety is our No. 1 priority. Y'all don’t realize it, and they are transitioning, we have adults lined up while they are walking as a safety measure. We are giving the high-5s and encouragement, I just had 6 sets of eyes watching out backpacks.
If you have anything individually, please shoot me an email. Especially regards to this matter within a 24-hour period.
Please be safe getting home and continue to have those conversation with your boys.
Mr. Thomas,
DERETHOMAS@dallasisd.org

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