|
Only have a minute? Listen instead
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
After criticism over evacuation messaging at Mercedes High on Thursday, the district is planning to offer a training session next week on school safety procedures and may alter the terminology it uses to describe threats.
Mercedes PD arrested 17-year-old Jaime Alvarez from Mercedes ISD in the wee hours of Thursday morning after allegedly making a terroristic threat, one of 10 individuals to be arrested after threats to Rio Grande Valley campuses this week.
An unrelated bomb threat at Mercedes High School a little after noon Thursday, which was made using “telecommunication devices of various types,” prompted several releases from the district, the involvement of police and a bomb squad, and, ultimately, the campus’ evacuation and the cancelation of school Friday.
According to the district, there were no serious threats of harm and no one was in any imminent danger.
The district described social media rumors and misinformation as rampant, and said that the Texas School Safety Center Standard Response Protocol was followed during the day to ensure safety.
The security status of the campus changed throughout the afternoon, and a flurry of releases from the district seemed to be attempting to keep up with a changing situation and changing rumors.
KRGV reported Thursday that not all parents were pleased with the district’s response.
Terminology seems to have been a major factor in that displeasure. The campus was originally evacuated because of a bomb threat at 12:31 p.m., according to Mercedes police.
However, a phone message sent to parents at 1:40 p.m. said the district was conducting a safety drill, KRGV reported.
Superintendent Carolyn Mendiola said Friday that the district regularly refers to evacuations as drills.
“We don’t know if it’s true,” she said. “We don’t know if it’s real. We don’t know — if it’s active, if it’s not an active threat. The law enforcement is trying to find out if it’s real or if it’s not.”
Students follow drill procedures whether there’s a real threat or the district is testing safety protocols, Mendiola said. Calling the evacuations drills, she said, can stave off panic.
“You don’t call parents and say ‘There’s a bomb threat at the school, we’re going to evacuate the building.’” she said. “That’s not the procedure we’re trained in. You don’t put parents into a panic. You don’t state that, because you don’t know if the threat is active or not.”
Mendiola said the district has reached out to the Texas School Safety Center for clarification on appropriate evacuation terminology and may reach out to the center about reviewing policies and procedures in line with its guidance.
Mendiola also said that terminology isn’t an issue for students and staff; they react to drills and evacuations identically.
“It’s going to be students and staff first,” she said. “We’re not trained to get on the phone, call parents, let them know what’s going to happen. Students and staff are safe first, then parents are informed.”
