SBCISD, police meet to ensure student safety

SAN BENITO — The past two weeks have been busy for San Benito school district officials.

This past week, following a high school lockdown drill, school representatives met with local law enforcement and emergency medical agencies to review and discuss the current crisis intervention plan.

In an effort to maximize safety in the district, officials audited the current plans and discussed possible changes.

This all comes after the news of a mass shooting in Florida that killed 17 students and teachers.

Since that tragedy on Feb. 14, there have been numerous reports of threats targeting school districts nationwide.

Rey Saldana, director of student services, has taken the lead to oversee the crisis planning.

“We were able to have crucial conversations to review our San Benito CISD’s Crisis Intervention Plan,” Saldana said in a statement.

Saldana said a review of crisis planning has been in the works for months, before the rise of threats that had been targeting the school.

The constant shuffle among district administrators made it difficult to put together the committee in the past, but the addition of Superintendent Nate Carman made it possible.

The meeting was attended by various agencies, including local law enforcement, the Sheriff’s office, local EMS and the superintendent.

“It was a very productive meeting,” Saldana said.

Saldana said the previous plan was too complex and needed to be simplified.

“It’s a working document,” Saldana said. “We asked to take it back and review it a little bit more.”

Officials looked over the current plans for crisis intervention and suggested recommendations that would better suit the district.

This was the first meeting of its kind with the district and meetings will continue on a monthly basis until the summer.

“We want our students, parents and local stakeholders to understand that we as San Benito CISD take every welfare concern seriously,” Saldana said.