Alvin ISD details safety, care and wellness initiatives including RFID student IDs, weapons screening and expanded counseling

Alvin ISD administrators on Oct. 20 presented the district’s strategic plan initiatives for safety, care and wellness, describing ongoing and new programs intended to strengthen physical security, substance‑use prevention and student mental‑health supports.

LaKeisha Holloway, director of student administrative services, said the district is in its third year of an RFID student ID program. “New this year, every student in the district has been issued an RFID card. Parents can use the stop finder app to track their child's bus rides to and from school and monitor student movement throughout the day,” Holloway said. The presentation said the district will continue to expand RFID functionality.

On weapons detection and physical security, the district said it runs weapons screening in partnership with the Texas State Protection Agency and Alvin ISD Police Department; detection machines have been used at large events such as football games and graduations. Devon (Devonna) Ruiz, director of safety, and district police staff outlined Go Safe gun‑lock distribution events in partnership with a Houston gun‑safety program, and said the police department increases presence and outreach at campus events.

The district described substance‑use prevention measures and restorative responses to vaping and THC incidents. Helen Shoemake reviewed two student programs: the Texas e‑cigarette and tobacco awareness program (ETAP) for students assigned to in‑school suspension for non‑THC vaping, and Aspire (an MD Anderson program) for students with THC‑containing vapes who are assigned to the alternative campus ADAPT. Shoemake said the district also conducts random canine searches with Interquest detection canines and uses Pinnacle Medical Management for a random student drug‑testing program.

Amber Dixon, counseling coordinator, summarized mental‑health and social‑emotional learning supports. Dixon said the district uses the Character Strong curriculum and that school counselors lead small‑group and one‑on‑one interventions. The presentation described family‑facing supports including newsletter resources, virtual trainings for parents on grief and suicide prevention, and a district counseling web page with mental‑health links.

District leaders invited trustees and community members to participate in CRASE (civilian response to active shooter events) trainings and said the safety programs are coordinated with the district’s administrative services, counseling services and police department. Board members asked about parent education and recidivism tracking for students involved with THC incidents; administrators said courses and outside‑agency referrals are available and that the district tracks repeat incidents and adjusts placements and expectations for students who reoffend.

No formal action was taken; the board received the report and asked follow‑up questions about family resources and tracking of repeat incidents.