Killeen ISD hosted a school safety forum for parents and community members on Monday evening.
District safety leaders, including Killeen ISD police chief Ralph Disher and director of school safety and investigations Chuck Kelley, shared an overview of the district’s current and new safety measures in wake of the Uvalde massacre.
KISD school board members spent more than three hours at a meeting earlier this month discussing the district’s safety protocols and areas for improvement.
Among topics discussed, the district presented updates on facility safety improvements, officer presence on campus and training requirements for law enforcement, students and staff.
Parents in attendance raised questions and concerns regarding the district's new closed-lunch policy for high schools, student safety and bullying.
Nigel Dunn, a father of three KISD students, said he was deeply frustrated and upset after what occurred in Uvalde.
"With everything that happened in Uvalde, with all of the mistakes that I saw, I want to make sure that KISD is taking this seriously," he said.
Dunn applauded the district's efforts to have an open discussion with parents and staff about safety measures.
Parents also raised concerns over police officer presence in schools. With 52 campuses, the KISD police department only employs 30 officers. The district pointed to a current struggle to find qualified candidates but is continuing its search.
Chief Disher explained that the forum was designed to allow families to feel more comfortable with the district's safety measures heading into a new school year.
"We will do everything possible to make sure that it's a safe environment and to ease some of the fears that they may have going into this school year," Disher said.
The district is hosting a second community safety forum this Wednesday, July 27 at Eastern Hills Middle School in Harker Heights at 6 p.m.
