COPPERAS COVE – Bulldawgs are paving the way in safety & security for schools across Texas.
Wednesday, representatives from State Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows’ office visited Copperas Cove’s Williams/Ledger Elementary School to get a firsthand look at CCISD’s innovative approach to student and staff safety.
“Copperas Cove ISD is leading the way with several innovative technology-based security measures, and we had the opportunity to showcase those efforts today,” said Chief Technology Officer Kip Robins. “We discussed programs and systems that, to our knowledge, no other school district in Texas is currently using.”
Williams/Ledger Elementary is currently the only campus in Texas which utilizes technology from XSponse to enhance safety & security throughout the campus. This technology helps provide real-time information to administrators and first responders who need it in the event of a crisis.
“I think this visit is extremely significant, not only for our district but for the entire state,” said Director of Safety & Security Doug Hunter. “It gives legislative leaders the opportunity to see the capabilities of this technology and understand how similar solutions could be implemented in school districts across Texas.”
XSponse technology is present in every room on the campus, ensuring every staff member on the campus has access to safety tools that no other campus in Texas currently has.
“Unfortunately, as the world around us has changed, the needs of our schools have changed as well,” Williams/Ledger principal Jenny Cresswell said. “Having that extra layer of security and protection is extremely valuable. We feel very fortunate to have this system in place and honored that our campus was selected to showcase the technology during today's visit.”
In addition to showing the XSponse technology to Speaker Burrows’ representatives, they discussed other safety and security steps with CCISD leadership.
Among those topics were additions CCISD has made to its emergency operations plan to provide added safety to the standards set by Texas law.
“It allowed us not only to showcase our technology and safety programs but also to demonstrate our culture and approach,” Hunter said. “We often say, ‘One Pack, One Purpose,’ and today's visit provided an opportunity to show exactly what that means and how we work together here in Cove to keep our schools safe.”
They also discussed the current setup of CCISD’s successful School Marshal program, the vast majority of whom have prior experience in the military, law enforcement or both.
These things, combined with the innovative approach through technology, help CCISD use a forward-thinking approach to safety & security.
“In many active-shooter situations, including Uvalde, responders lacked critical information,” Robins said. “What we're doing here helps address that challenge. Whether it's a scraped knee, a student or staff member experiencing a medical emergency, or a serious security threat, this system helps ensure that the right people are notified immediately and have the information necessary to respond effectively.”