By Gary Borders
Panic buttons, locked doors for Texas schools
Texas public schools would have to install panic buttons in classrooms and ensure all doors and windows are locked and monitored under new proposed safety standards released last week by the Texas Education Agency. The proposal is the latest effort to strengthen school safety after 19 children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde last May in the state’s deadliest school shooting. The Dallas Morning News reported that school districts in coming weeks can apply for grants from TEA to cover spending on security-related items, including installment of silent panic buttons this year. Each district will receive at least $200,000, with funds awarded on a per-student count. Districts would also be required to undergo twice-annual maintenance checks to make sure that two-way radio equipment used by law enforcement and first responders works inside their school buildings. Previous reports indicate poor radio communication was one reason law enforcement didn’t confront the gunman for more than an hour in Uvalde.
20% increase in traffic deaths in oil and gas regions