KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — As Killeen ISD continues to grapple with the aftermath of the fatal stabbing of 14-year-old Serenity Baker, Superintendent Dr. Jo Ann Fey reports an uptick in bullying complaints from the community.
While the district has long maintained an online bullying reporting system, Fey says recent events have led to an increased number of cases.
“As for the original bully reporter that we’ve always used, there has been an uptick of cases,” Fey explained. “And what I’m requesting now is a couple of things on immediate action, like ‘Has a parent been called yet? Has a student been talked to?’ and to have my staff reach out and follow up.”
Despite efforts to streamline reporting, Fey admitted that KISD does not currently have a system for tracking verbal complaints from parents who visit schools to report bullying. “We don’t have a tracking system for an immediate conversation when a parent walks in the door and something happens,” Fey said.
Fey noted that other districts have used kiosks where parents can log their concerns upon arrival, and suggested that KISD may consider adopting a similar approach in the future. “I’ve had experiences in other systems where we’ve had someone log into a kiosk and put the reason why they’re there, and that may be an option for us moving forward; we’re just not there yet,” she said.
Meanwhile, KISD has updated its crisis response page to clarify the fate of Smith Middle School Principal Frederick Lilly. According to the district, Lilly will not return to the school.
As Killeen ISD continues to improve its response systems, community concerns persist over the district’s approach to bullying and student safety.
