KILLEEN, TX (KXXV) — In the aftermath of the stabbing death at Roy J. Smith Middle School on March 10, the spotlight has turned to bullying and safety concerns across Killeen ISD campuses. For Joyce Kreps and her son Collin, a former Smith Middle School student, that conversation is deeply personal.
Joyce withdrew Collin from of Roy J. Smith Middle earlier this school year after just one month due to relentless bullying. “It felt like everybody hated me, everybody in the school hated me. And then I’m like, are people laughing at me, and they were, laughing at me,” Collin shared.
His mother, Joyce, recalled reaching out to administrators at the time about the bullying to bring awareness for her son, but was unaware, and was never made aware by district administration, of the district’s online bullying reporting tool. “I didn’t know about an online reporting tool until this incident happened last week,” she said.
Killeen ISD Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey addressed concerns about the district’s bullying reporting procedures in a press conference earlier this week. “Can a parent verbally come to the office and share their concerns, and the answer is, absolutely yes. Where that is documented is questionable right now.” Dr. Fey stated.
For Collin, the experience has left lasting scars. When asked about his feelings about the bullying, and the fact that he very well could have been in the building during the stabbing, his response was jarring. “Terrifying. I don’t want to lose my life at school,” he said. The impact on the Kreps family has been profound, with Joyce expressing heartbreak over her son’s hesitance to return to a traditional school environment. “I don’t think he’ll ever want to go to a traditional school now, and that breaks my heart,” she admitted.
Despite his struggles, Collin has a message for other kids facing similar challenges. “Remember, if people tease, they’re jerks, you don’t have to listen to them at all. Their opinion does not matter,” he said.
As KISD works to implement changes and rebuild trust with families, Collin and Joyce’s story underscores the urgency of addressing bullying and creating a safer environment for students. The district has outlined plans to revisit its bullying policies and improve communication with parents, aiming to prevent future incidents and ensure all students feel supported.
