Safety Partnership Grows

The City of Midlothian and MISD approve the addition of 6 new SRO’s

A strong partnership focused on proactive school safety measures is expanding, thanks to an inter-local agreement between the City of Midlothian, the Midlothian Police Department and Midlothian ISD. An updated safety MOU adds six (6) highly qualified officer positions to the existing MISD School Resource Officer (SRO) Division. Trustees unanimously adopted the MOU at its August 21 regular meeting.

“Safety is a highest priority; and we are grateful to have such a strong and longstanding partnership with the City of Midlothian and the police department,” said Interim Superintendent Dr. Karen Rue. “The collaboration has greatly benefited the students, staff, parents and community members of MISD for more than a decade. The approval of the updated agreement strengthens and expands our prioritized safety efforts, and is a model for other city and school district partnerships to follow in meeting security goals.”

The new officer positions will be filled with highly qualified personnel over the next 24 months.

“The greatest benefit that comes from the strong partnership between the city and district is the effective safety infrastructure that’s in place at MISD,” said Commander Tim Hicks, who oversees the district’s School Resource Officer Division and is the MISD Director of Safety and Security. “In working with Midlothian ISD, I know firsthand how appreciative the district is of the partnership and investment in safety the City of Midlothian continues to provide for MISD students, staff and families.”

The MOU agreement began during the 2006-07 school year with just one School Resource Officer. The program has grown through the years. Currently, 12 licensed law enforcement officers serve in the MISD School Resource Officer Division. They serve all 14 MISD schools. The School Resource Officers are in and around the district at every school each day classes are in session. Expanding the number of SRO positions to 18 helps meet state mandated requirements of House Bill 3, which goes into effect September 1 and calls for an armed security officer present during school hours at each district campus.

"I am very proud of the stance taken by the City Council of Midlothian,” said Midlothian Chief of Police Carl D. Smith. “Over the 16 years that I have been privileged to be Chief of Police, the Council has embraced the collaborative effort between the MISD Board of Trustees, MISD Administration and MPD to invest in our student's safety.”

Chief Smith shared the city’s commitment to supporting MISD’s dedication to safety initiatives in a time when funding for state mandates is not available. “The passage of House Bill 3 placed extraordinary requirements on our ISD this year and was approved after the school district adopted its 2023/2024 Budget. Midlothian's Council has proposed an MOU that authorizes the hiring of six (6) additional officers to meet the requirements of House Bill 3, beginning with the adoption of the City's 2023/2024 Budget. This agreement shows the commitment of the City Council to help reduce the financial strain placed on the district created by HB 3. The MOU establishes an annual escalation of cost sharing, allowing MISD to gradually assume up to 70% of the School Resource Officer Program by June of 2026 while still placing an officer on each MISD campus."

Midlothian ISD places the safety and security of students and staff as a top priority and has implemented several safety protocols in recent years that align with nationally accepted best practices, including:

➔   Digital video surveillance and access control technology

➔   Pre-entry visitor screening and Raptor visitor management software

➔   Lockdown alert system utilizing InformaCast

➔   Anonymous reporting system

➔   Safety window film in strategic areas on all campuses

➔   Two-way handheld radios

➔   Secure classroom door hardware (classrooms remained locked)

➔   Regularly scheduled emergency drills

➔   Campus-specific crisis plans, including roles/responsibilities

➔   Administrative team crisis plan to support campus leadership

➔   Threat assessment teams at each campus

➔   Computer monitoring software

➔   Automated external defibrillators (AED) and Stop-the-Bleed kits

➔   Joint training between school officials and First Responders

➔   Regular review of the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) and Active Threat Plan 

➔   Ensure the School Behavioral Threat Assessment teams are trained

➔   Ensure all staff and substitutes are trained on their specific procedures and drills before the start of the school year