School safety conversations resurface as Bryan ISD gets ready for first day of 2024-25 school year

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Schools across the Brazos Valley are heading back to school this week, ready to start a new 2024-2025 academic year. Like many other schools in the area, Bryan ISD is taking safety precautions.

The new school year has renewed conversations of safety in schools, and officials from Bryan ISD said they’re ‘prepared now more than ever’ to keep students safe.

A report from the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center said early intervention is key in preventing instances of school violence. By attempting to stop violence before it starts, schools have more opportunities to offer help and resources to students in need.

However, district officials shared their understanding of the pressure students can face in reporting concerns, especially if it’s coming from a friend. That pressure is why Bryan ISD is encouraging the use of its B-Safe app, which is a way for students and parents to anonymously report incidents.

“If there’s something wrong, it’s kind of like ‘see something, say something,’ and that provides them the opportunity to say something to us,” said Rich Himmel, assistant director of safety and security for Bryan ISD.

Whether it’s on the bus, in the classroom or at school events, the district assured safety is at the foundation.

“Whenever they’re at school, whenever they’re to and from school; we want them to feel safe and be safe, and we promote that every day,” Himmel insisted.

Himmel told KBTX the state has a message for parents ahead of the school year, and although he said it’s less applicable for Bryan ISD, it’s still a good reminder.

“We want to remind parents that it’s very important if they have firearms in their homes that they store them out of reach and inaccessible to their kids,” advised Himmel.

As students file back into classrooms on Tuesday, Bryan ISD said it hopes to help staff and parents feel secure in the district’s safety preparations.

“I feel totally confident sending my students to school here,” Kallie Donley, a district parent and employee, added. “I know that they’re safe at school and I feel comfortable that all the staff members and employees at Bryan ISD know what to do in any sort of incident.”

Like school districts across the state, Bryan ISD undergoes regular safety audits to guarantee its campuses are in compliance with state laws on school safety. Himmel shared that Bryan ISD is in compliance with those state laws, as laid out in House Bill 3.