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Boerne ISD outlines reunification plan as part of expanded emergency protocol training
Summary
Chief Goodrich and district staff described a reunification framework that emphasizes prevention, preparedness, response and reconnecting students with guardians; the plan relies on front-office personnel, Raptor visitor-management redundancies and partnerships with local public-safety and nonprofit agencies.
Boerne ISD's director of safety and security, Chief Goodrich, presented the districtreunification plan to trustees on Dec. 16, describing the approach as the fourth pillar of the district's emergency work: prevention, preparedness, response and reunification.
Goodrich told the board that reunification work focuses on returning students and staff safely to caregivers after an incident and that the district shifted many operational responsibilities to campus administrative teams and registrars rather than to the safety staff who lead response. He described the use of the Raptor system and mobile-app redundancy to match students with authorized guardians even if computers or Wi-Fi fail. "We wanted to control what we can control in a potentially chaotic environment," Goodrich said, explaining why the district prefers designated reunification sites and local, trained staff rather than ad-hoc public locations.
Goodrich emphasized training front-office staff, creating simple pen-and-paper redundancies in case electronic systems fail, and identifying students with frequent medical needs so reunifiers and health staff can prioritize care. He also described frequent exercises with local law enforcement, fire and EMS and planned a districtwide exercise with certification of responders in early January.
Several trustees praised the effort and the district's collaborative relationships with the sheriff's office, municipal police departments and local behavioral-health and nonprofit partners. Trustees said the district's emphasis on training, redundant technology and community partnerships reduces the risk of chaotic information spread during an incident.
Why this matters: Reunification processes determine how quickly and safely students return to guardians after emergencies. Clear protocols, redundancy and trained front-line staff reduce delays, confusion and the risk of family members acting on inaccurate information.
No board motion was recorded on the reunification presentation; Goodrich asked for continued board support for training and partnerships.
