SUGAR LAND, Texas – Students in Fort Bend County are gearing up to head back to school. As they make their way into the classroom, students will notice some changes around the school to help keep them safe.
From new ID badges to emergency call boxes, here are some of the new security measures the Fort Bend Independent School District is implementing to help make school a safe place for students and staff:
New door locks
In May, the district installed 7,300 door locks on every classroom that are meant to be easy for students of all ages to use in emergency situations.
“(The locks are) a barricade system that will allow a threat to stay outside of the classroom and whoever inside the classroom away from that threat and protected,” said Angelique Myers with Fort Bend ISD.
Once locked, only police officers will be able to get in from the outside.
New ID badges
Starting in September, Fort Bend ISD will use a new badging chip system. Students will check in and out of school at kiosks and desktops that allow staff to monitor who comes and goes.
“It allows us in real-time to know who enters and exits the campus instantly," said Myers. "(and) make sure we’re accountable (and) know who’s on campus, when and who is not supposed to be there."
Emergency call boxes
The district has added 44 emergency call boxes district-wide, including two at each high school, one at each middle school and at their agricultural and athletic facilities.
“It’s one-touch access to our dispatch center in the event of an emergency," Myers said. "They’re also there to report suspicious activity."
Students can use them to contact authorities in the event of suspicious activity or an emergency.
For more information on safety measures at Fort Bend ISD, visit Fortbendisd.com.