On May 5, schools across the country responded to an internet threat that turned out to be a large-scale hoax.
Hutto Independent School District was one of the many affected by the threat, and they used their Parent Square app to quickly alert parents about the hoax.
“We have been notified by state law enforcement personnel that this threat has been deemed a ‘nationwide hoax.’ It is circulating at districts across the country and the state,” read the message. “In the event of an actual threat or emergency, Hutto ISD officials will immediately notify you.”
Taylor ISD Superintendent Devin Padavil said that Taylor was not affected by the hoax threat.
“We’ve been fortunate to not encounter any of that this year,” he said. “Over the last two to three years, we’ve really done a more effective job of making sure there are immediate and appropriate consequences for false threats, and the students know this.”
The 2023 Texas Education Poll conducted by the Charles Butt Foundation, a Texas education advocacy and public opinion research agency, showed that 53% of Texans believe there is at least a moderate risk for a mass shooting at a school in their community.
Hutto ISD recently purchased three weapon detection scanning machines to be used at the high school and Ninth Grade Center entrances.
They are also purchasing wearable panic devices, which can support emergency communications and potentially improve threat response times and increasing the height on all school fences from four feet to six feet.
Hutto and Taylor districts are both investing in ballistic window film, a coating for streetfacing windows that strengthens glass against ordnance.
“As part of our bond, we’re putting bullet-proof window film at our schools,” Padavil said. “We’re also adding another level of badge readers so people will have to screen their badge to get into the building, and then screen again to get past the office or lobby area. This will make getting into the building more protected.”
While administrators hope that hightech tools and safety protocols, such testing for locked doors, will help keep the schools safe, in the end they agree that a lot of the responsibility rests on the school districts’ relationships with parents.
Hutto ISD’s website has a link to report threats or other issues anonymously, but in messages to parents they recommend contacting the police or administrators immediately in case of a security issue.
Padavil concurs, and said the same thing applies in Taylor.
“Moms and dads need to email myself or the principal directly if they suspect something because that is the fastest way to take care of a safety concern,” he said. “As superintendent, I do not have a facebook page and I don’t know what’s on there until hours later. That’s not an efficient way to work together as a community.”
