Laredo ISD reviews annual Emergency Operations Plan and active-threat annex ahead of October submission

LAREDO, Texas ' Laredo ISD staff on Tuesday reviewed the district's annual Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and the newly added Active Threat for Schools annex and said the documents will be submitted to state reviewers by the Oct. 2 deadline.

Doctor Oscar Perez, who presented the review to the School Safety and Security Committee, said the district follows a Texas School Safety Center template and must meet annual review requirements set by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas School Safety Center. "We are required, by, TEA and by Texas School Safety Center to review our emergency operation plan, annually," Perez said.

Why it matters: The EOP establishes the district's emergency phases, coordination with first responders, training requirements and lines of authority for incident response. The committee's review is one of three annual meetings the district must hold; the district must finalize the plan and annex for submission on Oct. 2 and Perez said a webinar with a state reviewer is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Key points from the review

- Training and standards: Perez noted the EOP references adoption of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and FEMA courses (100, 200, 700, 800) and said the district will request principals complete the courses. "This emergency operation plan covers the 5 phases of emergency management: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery," Perez said.

- Coordination and docs: The plan lists formal agreements and memoranda of understanding with local response agencies, distribution of emergency maps to first responders and a three-year cycle for safety audits. Perez said the district distributed maps electronically to law enforcement and submitted maps to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

- Active threat annex: Perez described the active-threat annex as a customizable template that includes responsibilities before, during and after incidents and reaffirms the incident command system and ICS-trained staff participation. He said the annex is one of several attachments in a roughly 190-page EOP package.

Board concerns and next steps

Board President Juan Ramirez raised several concerns about specific wording and delegation in the plan, noting a change from last year's language regarding who assigns or delegates duties when the superintendent is interim. Ramirez asked that the committee convene a follow-up meeting, and he and other members pressed for a closed-session review of some flagged items. "I would like to convene this committee so we can discuss this and and under, before the committee," Ramirez said; he later asked that the follow-up be scheduled before the Oct. 2 submission.

Perez said he had already communicated with "mister Gabe de la Hoya," the state reviewer, and that the district could include language consistent with state guidance if the committee approves it. Perez also encouraged committee members and school representatives to forward questions in advance so staff can prepare responses for the follow-up meeting.

What the committee asked staff to do

- Schedule a committee follow-up (Ramirez requested a closed-session opportunity to discuss certain security details). - Provide clarifications on signature and delegation language and on required training for substitutes, staff and principals. - Incorporate feedback from the Sept. 24 state webinar if needed before finalizing submission.

The committee did not record a formal vote on adoption during the meeting; Perez said the superintendent approves the plan and the district will submit the EOP and annex by Oct. 2 unless additional revisions are required following the follow-up meeting.