Campus security leaders from Dallas-area school districts and universities presented on topics ranging from access control to preparing for an active shooter on campus.
The committee removed a measure to allow districts to assign expelled students to pre-arrest diversion programs, but kept requirements for sheriff’s offices and school guardian training.
A report by CBS 11 found that only five districts in North Texas had applied for the Department of Justice grants, mostly because administrators did not know about the funding.
After an investigation found that there is little policy in place to prevent bus drivers from driving while under the influence, advocates are pushing for legislative action.
School districts are finding that tiplines and software meant to detect students discussing potential attacks are allowing police to intervene in suicide attempts and self-harm.
The district has not committed to any significant upgrades, similar to the response after the Santa Fe High School shooting in 2018.
The government is considering the creation of an app that would allow students and parents to anonymously submit tips about concerning behavior or mental health issues.
The bill instructs the Department of Homeland Security to assess the threat landscape for school districts, including ransomware, and identify solutions to improve cybersecurity protections.
Originally, the Montgomery County district thought the cyber attack was limited to one high school. But the hacker was able to obtain access to the accounts of over 5,000 students across six schools.
Blue Shield of California has launched an initiative to address the lack of mental health resources in California schools.