To shore up safety and security in Texas public schools, the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) began performing random intruder protection audits in Fall 2022. According to TxSSC, the goal is for 100% of school districts and 75% of campuses across the state to be audited by the end of the school year. In October, two Life School campuses were audited with no findings and no issues.
The audits were mandated by Gov. Greg Abbott on June 1, just days after the tragedy in Uvalde. According to the TxSSC, members of central administration and local law enforcement are aware of the audits beforehand, but campuses are not. In October, two Life School campuses were audited. Both campuses passed the safety audit with no findings and no issues.
Chief Operations Officer Barry West said, “We are proud of the results of the recent safety audits on Life School campuses, and we are thankful for the work and collaboration that has taken place across the district to ensure the safety of our students and staff.”
The results reaffirm the measures Life School has taken to ensure the safety and security of students and staff. Measures include a slate of building improvements, trained officers on campus, additional vigilance training for staff, new electronic communication tools for emergency situations, partnerships with local law enforcement, and ongoing Safety and Security Committee meetings (including staff and parent members) to identify issues and keep security improvement top-of-mind.
The district also continues a proactive approach to parent communication – sharing releases more frequently than many districts as a means of reinforcing safety standards and helping educate parents about how students and staff respond when issues arise.
Dr. Brent Wilson, Superintendent, said, “We are proud of the diligence of our teachers, staff, students and security officers in helping keep everyone safe at school. I am thrilled about the positive results of our first two audits, and I know our teams will remain focused on the well-being of our Life School community.”
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Life School is a tuition-free, public charter school with campuses in Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Mountain Creek, Red Oak, Oak Cliff and Waxahachie, TX. Life School develops leaders with life skills through strong academics, character training, and partnerships with parents and the community. Its mission is accomplished in part through the financial support of donors who provide scholarships and embrace making students ready to learn, ready to lead and ready for life.
Parents who are interested in enrollment can visit lifeschool.net/learn-about-life. Partners who would like to support Life School financially can give online at lifeschool.net/give.
