TEA Adopts Final School Facility Safety and Security Standards
The TEA has announced the final adoption of rules to address school facility safety and security standards — rules that were crafted in response to the Robb Elementary shooting tragedy in Uvalde last year.
Based on public comment, several changes were made to the rules on adoption from the version that was proposed (article) last November. Numerous other suggestions for revisions made via public comment were rejected.
The adopted rules:
- Specify the components for a communication infrastructure required across all public school instructional facilities — including provisions for the requirements for panic alert button systems as mandated by SB838 that the governor signed on May 5.
- Require all public school instructional facility access points (such as exterior doors) to be: 1) designed to be secured, 2) maintained to operate as intended and 3) monitored appropriately.
- Apply to all public school instructional facilities — whether owned, operated, or leased, with no exceptions made for older facilities.
Funding Info
The June 1 TEA advisory announcing the adoption of the rules also includes updated information about available school safety related grant funding (deadline Aug. 1, 2023) and about future funding opportunities.
