WACO, Texas (KWTX) – A hot topic of discussion for Waco Independent School District is back on the agenda at tonight’s board meeting: school designs in regards to safety.
For months now, the board of trustees has debated the designs of new construction in Waco ISD for Tennyson Middle School, G.W. Carver Middle School and Waco High School.
This is the third time now that the topic is being brought up again at a board meeting.
The current design plans in place use glass walls on classroom sides facing a hallway, rather than bullet resistant materials.
Proponents of the glass say it allows for enhanced interaction with instruction outside the classroom, as well as more light inside the classrooms, but critics say this could impact student safety.
Back in August, KWTX spoke with trustee Jeremy Davis, who said he is concerned this open visibility would put students and staff at risk in the case of a threat inside the school.
He said students need a barrier for kids to retreat to that cannot be seen through the large glass wall.
“We know the reality of our country, as we’re seeing active shooters more and more, unfortunately,” Davis told KWTX back in August. “And in that incident, I wonder ‘where would our kids go’?”
Gloria Barerra, chief officer of facilities and operations at Waco ISD, told KWTX today that the schools have been designed based on floor plans and with materials that have been used in other schools for years now. She says that from the exterior entrance, all the way to the inner hallways, these schools will be built with safety precautions in mind.
“This is not a new design by any means,” Barrera continued. “I’ve been working in this industry a long time, and for at least 15 years I’ve seen many rooms, many classrooms with glass and transparency with corridors, and many of them have addressed these concerns with curtains and that sort of thing. So it’s not a new thing.”
The board meeting will be taking place at 6 p.m. at the Waco ISD Administration building on Franklin Avenue.
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