Governor’s School Safety Plan designed to strengthen public school security

Governor Greg Abbott recently released his comprehensive School and Firearm Safety Action Plan designed to strengthen security on public school campuses across our state. The components of this plan came as a result of a series of roundtable discussions in Austin led by the Governor and including people with various points of view and addressing various topics related to school safety. The discussions were initiated immediately following the tragic school shooting in Santa Fe ISD.

I was pleased to be included in these roundtable discussions to hear from students, teachers and superintendents. Over the years, the Texas Education Agency has worked with the Governor’s Office, the Texas School Safety Center and Texas Department of Public Safety to remind all districts of safety plan requirements and the need to plan for a variety of situations. TEA is also a focal point of some of the recommendations in the Governor’s action plan. 

I know we all share the belief that schools must be a safe place for learning. I look forward to working with the Governor to ensure TEA continues to play a key role in making our schools safer. 

To learn more, the Governor’s news release provides a good overview of the plan. In addition, a PDF of the entire action plan (PDF) can be downloaded here: https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/School_Safety_Action_Plan_05302018.pdf. 

Commissioner Mike Morath
June 4, 2018