To the Administrator Addressed (TAA) Correspondence
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is committed to supporting school systems in their efforts to improve the safety and security of school facilities for students, staff, and visitors. This To the Administrator Addressed correspondence provides information and resources related to school emergency and school closure reporting.
As a reminder, under 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §103.1213 and §103.1217, all school systems must submit information in Sentinel related to events requiring an emergency response or school closure, including the discovery of a firearm on a campus or at an extracurricular activity, bomb threats, or administrative, weather, or infrastructure-related closures.
To support compliance with state reporting requirements and promote consistent reporting practices, the Office of School Safety and Security developed the Reporting Guidance for School Emergencies or School Closures to assist school systems in identifying, documenting, and submitting reportable incidents through Sentinel. To report an emergency or school closure in Sentinel, school systems shall use the School Emergency Reporting Form, located in the EM Module.
TEA School Safety Agents will routinely contact school systems to offer technical assistance during or immediately following an emergency event. School systems must share details regarding an event with Safety Agents.
If you have any questions, please contact the Office of School Safety and Security at SafeSchools@tea.texas.gov.