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Brazosport ISD expands armed staff, emergency communications and campus security systems
Summary
District safety staff described expanded security measures — level‑3 armed safety specialists at campuses, an in‑house security academy, Knox box deployment, radio and cellular signal upgrades, and silent‑alert technology — and noted high survey ratings for perceived safety.
Brazosport ISD’s executive chief of safety and security presented a comprehensive update on campus safety measures, training and communications that the district has implemented or is deploying.
Kyle Morrow, executive chief of safety and security, told the board the district now staffs every campus with armed personnel mandated by state law and has created an in‑house training capability. "We have armed staff members at all campuses, either police or level 3," Morrow said, describing level‑3 safety specialists as mostly ex‑military, ex‑law enforcement or corporate security personnel who receive active‑response training aligned with local police protocols.
Key investments and programs outlined for trustees: - A Brazosport ISD Security Academy licensed through the state to train level‑2 and level‑3 security officers in‑house, reducing reliance on third‑party vendors. - Silent panic alert technology and visitor management (Syntegix/LoRaWAN) now deployed districtwide and being expanded to map campus assets (AEDs, fire panels, shutoffs) for responders. - Deployment of 90 Knox boxes at strategic exterior entry points, each containing campus master keys or access cards available to local first responders. - A multi‑system communications upgrade including police radios, districtwide radios for central coordination and campus radios; the district is installing bi‑directional amplifiers (BDAs) to address weak in‑building radio and cellular coverage. Morrow said the BDA project has been advanced in about six months and noted it is a multimillion‑dollar effort. - Rotating open‑gate metal detectors for major events, surveillance trailers that stream live video to a command center, and additional campus fencing and elopement locks at elementary campuses.
Morrow asked the board to note survey results showing high confidence in campus safety: 94 percent of staff, 90 percent of parents and 90 percent of students agreed or strongly agreed with the statement "I feel safe at school," the district reported.
Board members commended the safety staff and discussed grant funding, long‑term staffing, training pipelines and the command center. The presentation was a report only; trustees did not take formal action but discussed next steps and potential grants to replace aging radios and camera servers.
Morrow said the district’s approach aims to allow teachers to teach and students to learn by addressing security and communications systems at scale. "Our goal is that all staff and students are prepared and that first responders have the access and information they need when they arrive," he said.
