With the return of millions of Texas schoolchildren to the classroom this month, the state is taking steps to enhance the safety of students, teachers, and staff. To achieve this goal, every school district in the state has been granted free access to the Sentinel School Safety system. This system was recently launched and is designed to provide comprehensive safety measures for educational institutions.
During an interview at the Texas Capitol this week, Governor Greg Abbott revealed that the program utilizes state-of-the-art technology.
“He said that it might be the finest program in the United States.”
According to Abbott, the safety system operates using different methods to improve safety measures on Texas campuses. In response to the tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde over two years ago, the governor mandated new guidelines for all schools. The guidelines were specifically designed to prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing school buildings and to avert any potential shootings. School districts failing to comply with the new regulations are held accountable by bills passed in the legislature.
According to Abbott, monitoring the adherence of schools to the best practices already established by law in Texas will be more effective.
School districts now have access to a unified and standardized system that enables them to identify, evaluate, and mitigate potential risks to both their students and staff. The new system offers a streamlined approach that ensures consistent risk management practices across all districts.
Abbott expressed that this provides a more effective tool and opportunity to evaluate the behavior of individuals who may potentially commit a school shooting or similar crime.
Law enforcement in Uvalde has been under scrutiny following the indictment of two police officers on criminal charges. The charges are linked to a delayed response by the officers, highlighting the need for timely and efficient action by law enforcement officials.
During a discussion about the law enforcement response, Abbott expressed his greatest regret. He stated that the police did not react faster and with more force to eliminate the shooter, even though they are trained to do so. According to him, this action is crucial in such situations, and he hopes that law enforcement officials have learned from it. In the future, they should immediately head to the sound of the gun and continue until the shooter has been neutralized.
In the latest interview with the governor, he shed some light on the recent victory of Republican candidates who supported his school choice plan during the primaries. It’s been two months since their win and the governor seems pleased with the outcome. Last year, a bill that aimed to allocate taxpayer money on education savings accounts for private school attendance was defeated due to opposition from some House Republicans and Democrats. This resulted in the loss of approximately $5 billion in additional funding for the public school system and teacher salaries.
When questioned about his stance on a bill aimed at boosting public funding for schools, Abbott responded positively. He recalled a previous session where a plan was put forth that would have added $5 billion for public schools, while also increasing teacher salaries, abolishing the STAAR test, and giving students more options for school choice. However, he stopped short of guaranteeing that a standalone bill solely focused on increasing school funding would be passed. “We’ll have to wait and see what happens when we get into session,” he stated.
Come January, the next legislative session will commence. Democratic lawmakers have voiced their concern over the state’s inadequate funding for public schools, which has failed to keep up with inflation. In the previous year, school property taxes were reduced by around $18 billion, due to decisions made by lawmakers and voters. This has resulted in the state having to rely more heavily on sales tax revenues to finance schools.
During the discussion, Abbott touched upon various topics, including the Texas House races, the presidential race, and measures to avoid prolonged power outages in the future. He particularly addressed the plight of Houston residents who endured ten days without electricity after Hurricane Beryl.
On Sunday, “Eye On Politics” will air the complete interview with Lloyd Doggett, a Democratic Congressman, and Beth Van Duyne, a Republican Congresswoman from North Texas.
