HISD delays metal detectors
Houston ISD trustees shelved a request from administrators late Thursday to authorize up to $3 million for metal detectors, arguing district officials need to provide more concrete recommendations and plans for school security before the board votes to allocate money for the machines.
The board’s decision comes as Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan’s administration continues to solicit feedback and analyze security protocols following last month’s on-campus fatal shooting of Bellaire High School student Cesar Cortes, 19. Lathan said she has not yet decided whether to install metal detectors in some middle and high schools, but her administration wanted quick access to funds for the machines if district leaders decide to buy them.
Some trustees suggested they
remain open to possibly deploying metal detectors at access points in schools, though they said administrators and the board first need to conduct more detailed conversations about districtwide security plans. Several trustees questioned why Lathan asked for authority to spend on metal detectors now, rather than waiting until she decided to purchase the machines.
“It’s so easy to try to put a metal detector out there as a quick fix,” Trustee Anne Sung said. “I just want to make sure we’re being thoughtful and utilizing a strategy.”
Over the past several weeks, Lathan has said district officials strongly are considering the installation of metal detectors in the wake of Cortes’ death. Prosecutors said a 16-year-old Bellaire student shot Cortes on Jan. 14 with a semiautomatic pistol, apparently by accident, while showing off the firearm. The Chronicle is not naming the teen because he is charged with manslaughter as a juvenile.
Lathan said district leaders already have identified 20 middle and high school campuses that could receive metal detectors within the next several months. The only HISD schools currently employing metal detectors on a daily basis are alternative education campuses, which serve students subjected to disciplinary actions.
However, the interim superintendent said her administration still is meeting with students, staff and local leaders to gauge opinions on security upgrades. Community members also are being asked to complete an online school safety survey.
Lathan said the prospect of installing metal detectors has received some public support, but three other security measures top her list of potential recommendations as of now: increasing the number of police officers on campuses; bumping up police officer pay to reduce vacancies and turnover; and adding social workers to address students’ social and emotional needs.
Students attending the district’s high schools have been particularly supportive of placing more police officers on campuses, Lathan said. Her comments came after closed-door meetings with about 25 Bellaire students last month and 35 high school students from across the district earlier this week.
“I thought that was powerful,” Lathan said. “Especially in this day and time, when there’s still animosity in some communities when it comes to police officers, what I heard is, we want more police officers.”
Bellaire junior Annie Zhu, who attended last month’s meeting, said the addition of metal detectors “certainly was a point of discussion, but not the top one” during the discussion with Lathan. She said some students voiced support for metal detectors, while others emphasized the need for increased trauma training and improved relationships with students.
“A big topic was increasing education regarding gun safety by amplifying the amount of communication that happens within the school system,” Zhu said Friday.
HISD trustees have not yet held extensive discussions about specific security recommendations, many of which would require the board to authorize additional funding. A few board members have asked Lathan to present data on the efficiency of metal detectors in schools, though relatively little national research exists.
“I think we need to have a conversation on what our philosophy and approach is as a district, rooted in conversation with community members and students — which I know we’ve begun to do — but also research and policies,” Trustee Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca said Thursday.
Some trustees, including Kathy Blueford-Daniels, Dani Hernandez and Elizabeth Santos, have voiced skepticism about the effectiveness of metal detectors, arguing they perpetuate negative perceptions about campuses and contribute to what’s known as the “school-toprison pipeline.”
“I am not a fan of metal detectors,” said Blueford-Daniels, who invoked the 2006 murder of her 20-year-old son, Patrick, when discussing school security Thursday. “However, I am a fan of keeping our children safe. I actually support additional money if we used it to run a campaign of ‘See something, say something.’”
Lathan did not provide a timeline Thursday for returning to the board to discuss security measures or request funding for metal detectors. Trustees did vote Thursday to authorize up to $100,000 to replace metal detectors already in use at the district’s alternative education campuses. No other schools routinely use metal detectors when students enter the premises.