KLEIN, Texas – As Klein ISD students head back to class, the district is rolling out several behind-the-scenes safety upgrades designed to help campuses respond more quickly during an emergency.
The changes include new emergency-access boxes, upgraded security cameras, updated campus maps and additional training for law enforcement and school employees.
New Knox Boxes give first responders faster access
At Mahaffey Elementary and other Klein ISD campuses, new Knox Boxes have been installed this summer.
The secured boxes give police and other first responders quick access to school buildings during an emergency, including agencies that are not part of Klein ISD.
Klein ISD Police Chief Marlon Runnels said the system could save valuable time when outside agencies are called in to help.
“Those agencies that aren’t part of our district who are responding to support us can gain access to our buildings through these boxes,” Runnels said. “So it’s just that quick and easy for them.”
The district has also updated its campus maps and shared them with local law enforcement. The goal is to make sure responding officers know the layout of a campus before or as they arrive during an emergency.
The safety improvements are part of a broader effort that includes funding from a voter-approved bond in 2022.
More than 3,000 security cameras
Klein ISD now has more than 3,000 cameras covering its more than 50 campuses.
The district recently upgraded the cameras to provide sharper video and improved zoom capabilities.
District dispatchers monitor the cameras around the clock, according to Runnels.
If an incident occurs, the higher-quality video can also help investigators determine what happened.
But district officials say technology is only one part of the safety strategy.
Visitors must identify themselves before entering through the front door, while employees with authorized credentials can access buildings more quickly.
Law enforcement training focuses on emergency response
This summer, Klein ISD trained nearly 600 fire and law enforcement officers on active attack response.
The training gives responding agencies an opportunity to become familiar with school campuses, maps and emergency-response roles before an actual crisis occurs.
Runnels said that kind of preparation requires cooperation between the district and outside agencies.
“We can’t do it independently and in a silo. We have to collaborate. We have to partner with folks,” Runnels said.
School employees also receive annual safety training, including CPR, first aid and Stop the Bleed instruction.
Hundreds of drills conducted last year
The district conducted more than 500 safety drills last year.
Campus guards and police officers also logged more than 80,000 campus checks, according to Klein ISD.
The district’s campus guard program uses a hybrid approach. Police officers provide security support at secondary campuses, while armed campus guards are assigned to elementary schools.
The program is now entering its third year.
Runnels said the district puts guards through a vetting and training process before they are placed on campuses.
“We vet them. We train them. We invest in them to make sure that they are best suited to support our students and our staff here,” Runnels said.
As students return to classrooms, district officials say school safety ultimately depends on more than cameras, locks and emergency equipment.
It also depends on trained staff, students willing to speak up when they see something concerning, and systems that allow everyone to respond quickly when an emergency happens.