(Seguin) — “Today’s world is ahead of academics.” Those are the words used by Seguin ISD Superintendent Dr. Matthew Gutierrez to address one of the two groups of community members who gathered Thursday as part of the process to create the new Seguin ISD Safety Task Force.
The task force is what Dr. Gutierrez says is needed to help “keep safety and security” at the forefront all year long. He says although the district has remained vigilant in securing their schools, much of the public focus these last couple of years has been on COVID and the protocols required to protect a person’s health.
However, following the deadly shooting in Uvalde, approximately 150 members of the community are said to have responded to the district’s request for assistance in reviewing and improving the safety protocols used throughout the district. This was one of the district’s immediate responses to the tragedy. It was the district’s way to be preventative.
Gutierrez on Thursday laid out the current safety protocols used in the district. He also discussed the district’s desire to create a 30-member committee who would be tasked with assessing those protocols from a community perspective.
“My number one priority is safety and security and I had shared with the community here today that there had been sleepless nights especially in the days immediately following Uvalde because we are entrusted with 7,000 plus next year maybe hundreds more than that every single day and every day we hear another update about Uvalde so there’s a constant reminder about the importance of safety and security and so for me, it’s so important right now to listen to our community, to educate them, to inform them of our safety and security practices but to also get different ideas because a parent has a different perspective than a principal, a business leader, a different perspective than a teacher and so I believe that with this diverse group of people that come together, we are going to get some valuable ideas that are going to help us enhance what we are already doing and perhaps get some additional recommendations that I believe will provide a stronger sense of comfort to our community,” said Gutierrez.
Nikki Bittings, chief student services officer for the Seguin ISD, also shared the multiple trainings that district staff are required to attend. She says these trainings plus campus drills have been in place for the last several years.
During the pair of meetings, district officials stressed that those selected would have to be serious about serving on the task force committee and would have to be available for each of the mandatory meetings this summer.
Gutierrez says not only will the committee work to improve what is already in place, but it will also have to encourage the community to also support any changes. For example, Gutierrez says after the mass shooting in May, many local parents and guardians still got angry when campus staff required them to show a photo ID when picking up a student. He says that’s always been the standard procedure for a campus.
District officials say those not selected for the committee or who are unable to be a part of the entire process will still have a chance to make suggestions or voice concerns or applause for current safety procedures. A community survey is also being planned for later this summer once the committee is able to begin meeting.