Pflugerville council approves 'Handle with Care' MOU with school district; public copy lacked notification link

Pflugerville City Council on March 11 approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Pflugerville Independent School District (PISD) and the Pflugerville Police Department for participation in the Handle with Care program, a nationwide model that notifies schools when students may have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event.

Council pulled the item from the consent agenda to address an omission in the publicly posted document: section 2(b) of the MOU includes a line directing that “notification should be given by sending an email to” a designated recipient, but the posted copy had the email field empty. City staff explained the original MOU contains a link and contact that was redacted in the version produced for public posting; the underlying agreement identifies a Police Department contact for notifications.

Council members also questioned the program’s definition of “exposure to trauma,” calling it broad. A staff member explained the school district “wanted it to be more inclusive than exclusive,” so the notification could cover incidents students either witness or experience and enable school staff to observe and offer resources when a child’s behavior is inconsistent with usual classroom behavior.

Council voted to approve the MOU after that explanation; the council recorded the motion as carried. The council directed staff to correct the public copy so the notification contact is included in the posted MOU before future distribution.

The MOU ties police notification of certain incidents to school outreach so schools can check on students’ behavior and connect families with resources; the document’s text, as discussed in the meeting, does not list any changes to student discipline procedures and centers on notification and support. No funding changes were discussed during the item.