West Oso ISD outlines safety, security upgrades including metal detectors, ballistic shields, vape sensors and panic systems

West Oso ISD staff updated the board on a range of safety and security measures the district has implemented or is pursuing, citing recent state legislative changes, vendor pilots and donations.

Miss Moore (presenter) told trustees the district maintains a multi-page safety-and-security spreadsheet and has been updating procedures to respond to new requirements she identified from the "80 ninth legislature" (as referenced in the meeting). She said the legislation requires "breaching tools and ballistic shields on every campus"; the presenters interpreted "breaching tools" broadly (from simple implements such as sledgehammers to more specialized devices) and said the district is seeking donations for sledgehammers and looking into shields.

Lieutenant Josh Newman (Corpus Christi Police Department liaison), discussed cost and suitability, and staff said CCPD advised there are appropriate shield options available for about $500 each; the presenters noted they had not yet purchased shields and were continuing to seek donations and guidance from law enforcement on effective and tested equipment.

The district has purchased handheld metal detectors and wands and is piloting their use at DAEP (disciplinary alternative education program) and junior-high sites; staff described the metal detectors as a deterrent that will be used selectively to avoid constant false alarms from metal clothing items and buckles. Staff also said vape sensors have been installed inside junior-high restrooms and that the vendor is upgrading cloud services with additional functionality, including crowd detection and potential cell-phone‑use alerts. The district reports having approximately 300 Narcan units on hand districtwide and confirmed annual training is ongoing.

Staff also described procedural developments: West Oso ISD said it is one of five Texas districts that has an emergency operations manual (distinct from an emergency operations plan) and that the district has submitted documents to the Texas School Safety Center and Texas Education Agency for review. The district has begun integrating state behavior threat-assessment tools into local practice but reported usability issues with the statewide platform (e.g., long load times) and said it is working with the vendor.

On panic-alert systems, staff said they evaluated options and are favoring systems that integrate with the district’s existing Raptor visitor-management system; two options under consideration were an Alertus approach and a Raptor wearable-badge solution. Staff said an up-front quote for a non-service option was roughly in the mid-five-figure range and that the Raptor wearable-as-a-service option would entail an annual subscription (an example figure cited was about $20,000 per year). Staff reported receiving earlier one-time funding of about $90,000 and that security funding this year will be used to finalize panic alerts.

Board discussion focused on shield testing and certification, where shields would be stored and used, the placement of staff desks/vestibules relative to exterior doors, mobile shielding options and the need to ensure equipment is both effective and safe for staff. Trustees also asked about door alarms, missing funding for some door alarm installations, and the timeline for implementing silent/panic alerts. Staff said the district expects to implement a recommended panic solution by the end of the school year and would coordinate procurement and campus‑by‑campus implementation.