ALVIN, Texas – The death of a third grader following a choking incident at Pomona Elementary School in Alvin ISD this week has left a community grieving and sparked renewed concerns among parents about classroom safety requirements in Texas.
District officials say the student began choking during snack time. The teacher immediately performed the Heimlich maneuver and called for the school nurse. Campus police and EMS responded within minutes. The child was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Alvin ISD says its teachers are trained to respond to choking incidents, and nurses are on every campus. Still, some parents say the tragedy raises broader questions about whether statewide requirements go far enough.
Questions about CPR and training requirements
“Well, everybody should know CPR and the Heimlich maneuver just in case,” said James Goodwin. “I don’t think it’d take that long to put everybody through a CPR class.”
Under Texas law, school districts must make CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training available to employees. Certain staff — including school nurses, coaches and some extracurricular sponsors — are required to maintain certification. However, CPR certification is not mandatory for every classroom teacher.
The state also does not require public schools to have a nurse on every campus.
“I think they should be available — definitely for elementary, especially lower elementary,” Goodwin said.
Teachers as first responders
Elizabeth Knot, a former teacher, said educators are often the first line of response in emergencies.
“Teachers are that leader in the classroom,” Knot said. “You can just turn your back for a second and next thing you know, you’ve got a situation on your hands.”
Knot said if she were sending a child to elementary school, she would want clear information about emergency procedures — including how teachers are trained to respond to medical incidents.
Parental fears and calls for change
For first-time parent Hector Saldarriaga, the tragedy highlights fears many parents already carry.
“CPR — that should be like one of the first things,” he said. “Choking is serious. I’m just trying to make sure [my child] safe. That’s it.”
According to the Texas Education Agency, student deaths are reported for grades seven through twelve as part of state data submissions, but the reports do not specify the cause or location of death. Texas law also does not require school districts to staff every campus with a nurse, though certain students with individualized education programs requiring nursing care would necessitate access to one.
As the Alvin ISD community mourns, some parents say they hope the heartbreaking loss leads to a closer look at whether additional training requirements could help prevent future tragedies.
Alvin ISD released this statement following the student’s death:
Alvin ISD is an organization deeply committed to the care and wellbeing of each of our students.
Today, our district is grieving deeply over the loss of one of our beloved students at Pomona Elementary. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with our student’s family, and we stand by ready to offer care and assistance in any way possible.
The District’s Crisis Response team has been at Pomona Elementary to provide support both to students and staff that are impacted by this exceedingly difficult loss. At this time, we graciously ask for the community’s prayers, respect, snd sensitivity for the student’s family.
Alvin ISD
How other Houston-area districts compare
In response to this incident, KPRC 2 News reporter Joy Addison reached out to the five largest school districts in the Houston area — Houston Independent School District (HISD), the largest in Texas with more than 175,000 students; Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (CFISD), with about 117,000 students; Katy ISD, serving roughly 96,000 students; Aldine ISD, with more than 56,000 students; and Klein ISD, with more than 52,000 students — to ask about their nurse staffing policies, CPR and first aid requirements, emergency protocols, medical drill frequency, how they review on-campus medical incidents and what barriers they face in maintaining coverage and training.
Many districts are on break this week, and so far only Katy ISD has responded.
Katy ISD
Katy ISD says every campus is staffed with one registered nurse and one clinic aide during school hours. Each campus maintains an Emergency Response Team, with required members — including the nurse, clinic aide and campus safety liaison — certified in CPR, AED use, First Aid and Stop the Bleed. Coaches, sponsors and directors are also trained in CPR and First Aid.
The district says that in a choking or life-threatening emergency, staff immediately render aid, notify the nurse and administration, activate the district’s RAPTOR emergency alert system, call 911 and contact Katy ISD Police Department Dispatch to ensure a rapid response. District officials say student safety remains a top priority, with protocols designed for swift and coordinated action.