Wylie ISD holds public meeting regarding school incidents

ABILENE, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – After two incidents involving weapons, Wylie ISD invited parents to hear about and discuss school safety policies.

Many questions were addressed at a public hearing at Wylie High School Performing Arts Center, where parents of Wylie ISD students gathered to discuss the school’s safety protocols. This particular meeting came in response to incidents Wylie has seen this school year with students bringing weapons onto campus property.

Parents asked a wide range of questions, including the school’s policy regarding threat assessments regarding students. One parent pointed out the recent incident involving a middle school student bringing a loaded firearm to school and asked questions along the lines of a change to the bag policy.

“What are we going to do, and when can we see getting that done? Is it possible for us to implement clear backpacks after Christmas break? What next steps can we take to make change happen?”

During the meeting, Wylie Assistant Superintendent Craig Bessent gave a presentation that thoroughly outlined not only Wylie ISD safety protocols but also a timeline of state and national legislation surrounding school safety. Bessent explained to understand Wylie’s current policies, it is imperative to know why they were implemented.

“I think it’s important to know kind of where we started. Not just Wylie but for the state of Texas, maybe even a nation on school safety.”

Since the incidents, many parents have come forward to voice their concerns about the situation, and Wylie ISD Superintendent Joey Light expressed how transparency from their school helps build trust with the students’ parents.

“We had an opportunity to share our current procedures for safety and security at school with our community, and we wanted to do this as soon as possible. We, you know, we had an incident at Wylie West Junior High that we wanted to address, and we want there to be open communication between the school district and our community, and we think this is the best way to do it.”

Superintendent Light also commented on how opportunities like this public hearing are a good outlet for parents to voice their concerns and gather input to help the school improve from that feedback.

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