Local administrators reviewing school security

After the May 24 shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed, school officials nationwide have been reviewing their own campus security.

School administrators in Clovis and Portales have been looking at their campuses too.

In Clovis, Superintendent Renee Russ said Clovis Municipal Schools partners closely with local, regional and state law enforcement agencies when it comes to campus security.

Russ stated via email the district has memorandums of understanding and follows federal incident command system training.

“While we train together, consult closely and maintain a productive relationship with law enforcement, our district does not directly employ licensed police officers,” Russ said.

Russ said the district’s secondary campuses do have full-time security personnel who are responsible for securing the campuses, monitoring activity and maintaining safety and order.

Russ said these security people are not actually law enforcement but are trained to defer to law enforcement in emergency situations.

Russ described local law enforcement as “partners in the community” who make CMS a priority.

CMS boss: Police patrol school neighborhoods closely

She noted officers are vigilant in conducting close patrols in the neighborhoods surrounding the schools, maintaining relationships with school leaders, and through their “demonstrated commitment” to respond quickly when called.

Russ said she and Clovis school administrators rely on the tactical training, experience and knowledge of Clovis’ local responders and work to ensure that through their ongoing partnership, staff and students are cared for and kept safe.

Officials have said the Uvalde gunman entered that school through a door that was either propped open or failed to latch.

 Regarding Clovis schools, Russ wrote: “What we can say is that all school staff are trained and reminded that all exterior doors are to be closed and locked at all times with the exception of a single, secure point of entry near the front office.”

Russ referred to secondary campus security again, pointing out those personnel are responsible for actively monitoring all access points to campuses and buildings when students and staff are present. 

Russ said Clovis schools have no armed personnel on campus.

 She said students and staff participate in at least eight emergency drills per academic year.

“Drills are specifically designed to prepare our populations for fire, tornados and active shooters in addition to other emergency situations which can occur,” Russ said.

In addition to drills conducted at the student level, the district maintains an incident command system (ICS) team, which trains and works closely with local responders. That team trains with local first responders at least twice each academic year.

Russ stated that Clovis schools’ partnership with local law enforcement and responders is structured in a deliberate and proactive manner.

At the end of the school year last week, officers with the Clovis Police Department began training at each CMS campus and will continue through the summer, she said. The purpose is to maintain an ongoing familiarity with each school campus.

Russ said any incident of violence, particularly involving children in a school, gives cause to evaluate safety protocols.

“That introspection and analysis is a crucial part of how we train and prepare our leadership, staff and students,” she said.

Russ said one of the most profound lessons the tragedy in Uvalde will leave school districts with is the critical importance of ongoing community preparedness, partnership and communication at all levels.

“The tragic events in Uvalde painfully reminded us, violence in our schools impacts us all on a very personal level,” Russ said.

Portales schools plan active-shooter training

Portales Municipal Schools Superintendent Johnnie Cain said the last year PMS had an officer assigned to campuses was the 2020-21 school year.

“In the past we partnered with the city of Portales to hire a school resource officer,” Cain wrote in an email. “Due to staffing issues, we did not have a resource officer this year and most likely won’t have one for next year.”

Cain said there is not a school police force either. He said the school district works closely with the Portales Police Department and officers routinely visit schools throughout the week so there is a police presence. The schools have no actual armed presence and no weapons are kept on campus, he said.

Cain wrote that Portales school regulations state all exterior doors remain locked and are not to be propped open. 

“Doors do have alarms that notify staff if a door is propped open,” Cain said. “The only entrance that is open to the public is the main entrance at each school.”

Cain added each school has a foyer that is secured by a locked door that prevents visitors from going further into the building without permission. 

Cain said school principals conduct emergency drills throughout the school year and the district provides online training annually. 

In August, he said, state police will provide active-shooter training for all staff in the Portales district. 

Each school in the district updated their safety plans this spring, Cain said. The plans include instruction and procedures for various incidents and received state approval.

Principals will review these plans with their staffs at the beginning of the 2022-23 year.  Teachers review school safety with their students during the first week of school.