Safety Reminder

I know it’s been an unsettling week for many in our community because of a barrage of social media threats against several of our schools. Let me start by saying all threats we’re tracking this week have been found to be non-credible, meaning they do not pose a danger to our students and staff.

This week’s uptick of threats is part of a wider problem that school districts across Texas and the country are facing. The Texas Education Agency alerted Texas school districts, including KISD, on Monday of this larger issue.

Killeen ISD’s Office of Investigations & School Safety works with campus and district administrators to assess all reported threats.

This team coordinates with the Killeen ISD Police Department and other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to track down a threat’s origin and the people involved. Their combined resources allow the team to quickly assess the validity of the threat and determine the next steps to take. While we are not able to share details of investigations, I want you to know that this work is happening behind the scenes to help ensure the safety of our students and staff.

Additionally, we have measures in place to proactively protect our schools, many that go above and beyond state requirements, including:

• All exterior doors and classroom doors are required to be locked. School administrators check doors regularly for compliance. Campuses are also secretly audited annually by KISD staff and by ESC Region 12 to ensure full compliance with mandates for locked exterior and classroom doors.
  
  

• Campus staff are encouraged to identify any student whose action or personality has significantly changed and who could be experiencing an emotional crisis. These students are referred to the school’s behavioral threat assessment team, which is trained to conduct reviews of these students for potential dangers.
  
  

• All schools regularly practice responses to possible emergency scenarios to ensure that prompt response to a threat can be carried out if necessary. KISD follows the I Love U Guys Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol terminology of hold/secure/lockdown/evacuate/shelter for consistency and increased understanding of how to properly respond to any scenario.

Keeping our students safe requires our entire community to stay vigilant. Here’s how you can help:

Remind your student that Killeen ISD does not tolerate threats. Anyone making or spreading threats against our schools will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, which could include jail time.

If you see something, say something. Students and parents are encouraged to report safety concerns at www.KISDisSafe.com. You can also always reach out to your school administrative team.

Thank you for your continued partnership. Together, we can help keep our schools safe and focused on teaching so that students learn to their maximum potential.

Best,

Dr. Jo Ann Fey

Superintendent