Districts in El Paso review school safety following mass shooting at Uvalde elementary
EL PASO, Texas -- Ysleta ISD Associate Superintendent of Student Services, James Vasquez, said the district has now stepped up security and will include patrols around the perimeter.
He said there are 55 schools in YISD with security officers and that they are also partnered with El Paso police to have officers available on campus for high schoolers.
But he said not all schools have the latest safety upgrades, but with the 2019 bond, those will be completed at the end of 2024.
The Safety and Security upgrades will include:
- Safety Vestibules
- Front Office Panic Buttons
- Controlled Access with perimeter fencing and gates
- Doors with card access
- Kitchen delivery doors with some type of protected visual access
- Ballistic film
- Life Safety – Fire Alarms and Fire Sprinkler system upgrades
“We want to work together, we are partners with our parents at our schools and it's going to be a matter of all of us working together to ensure the safety of our children. Like I said, we are responsible for these students throughout the day and we want to assure parents we take this responsibility very seriously,” said Vasquez.
The spokesperson for Canutillo ISD, Liza Rodriguez, said in a statement that safety and security are the top priorities.
“We continuously review and update safety protocols and procedures. Some of the protocols currently in place are cameras, an officer at every campus, campuses remain locked at all times and require approved entry, etc. In addition, safety drills with students and staff are conducted regularly at each campus,” she said.
Meanwhile, Clint ISD Superintendent Dr. Juan Martinez said they are not looking to make any changes to their measurements.
He said all 14 of their schools are equipped with upgraded security measures and have armed sheriff's officers in every school.
“We cannot live in fear constantly, our students need to be in school, we still need to function as a society, and we invite them to trust that we can collectively work together to make sure our schools are safer,” said Martinez.
