Asher Hagan

The required sequence of communication and verification between levels of administration within AISD slowed the opportunity for instant communication with parents, students, and staff.

Two recent incidents have uncovered communication breakdowns between Austin Independent (AISD) and Bowie parents and students.

It started on Aug. 18 when a student was taken into custody for making threats to the school campus. However, staff, parents, and students were not alerted to the presence of a threat until 9:19 a.m., after they arrived at school.

“The morning that everything occurred on campus, we were actually just pulling into the drop-off lane when my daughter started getting texts about a rumored school shooting attempt expected that day,” parent Liz Wildwood* said. “Rumors were flying on campus and kids were sharing posts they claimed were new. Which, combined with the fact that school administration delayed information, left my daughter and me increasingly scared.”

According to Bowie students, the presence of the threat to campus has heightened tensions and aroused emotions surrounding school safety.

“I’m just not sure in those kinds of situations that teachers will have enough training to know what to do and keep kids calm,” senior Barbra Smith* said. “When we got the threat, I feel like most of the information I got was from rumors and some Facebook group, I think people really twisted the truth, and I don’t really know what to believe. No one knew what information was correct which made the whole thing more confusing.”    

The second incident that caused uneasiness about Bowie’s communication practices and response to threats at band practice on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4. The same student who made the original threats to campus two weeks prior was arrested at gunpoint by the Austin Police Department (APD) for trespassing on the Bowie campus. Questions have since arisen concerning the actions taken by staff to continue band practice.

“I’m grateful for the swift response by AISD Police Department (PD), but I was shocked that students weren’t hurried inside as soon as the former student showed up on campus,” Wildwood* said. “And students did not leave immediately after such a shocking event.”

For many students present at the band practice, this was their first time seeing a gun, which in itself was disconcerting.

“I saw a student who wasn’t a band member pacing in front of the school,” senior Joshua Harwood said. “When the police arrived, I was super confused, and I couldn’t exactly process what was happening. When the police officer pointed a gun, the whole band scattered off the field.”

The required sequence of communication and verification between levels of administration within AISD slowed the opportunity for instant communication with parents, students, and staff.

“Once I am informed, I immediately contact my supervisor, Dr. Torin Wooldridge, who then begins to notify the people that he reports to in the district,” Principal Mark Robinson said. “[Those] people include counseling, communications, the superintendent’s office, and the police. Once we have determined the level of crisis, then we notify the community. We want to make sure that all those folks are informed. When it comes to taking care of the kids at school, the worst thing we can do is create chaos in that situation where there’s already anxiety or potential panic.”

Teachers say they feel put in an uncomfortable position to balance constant vigilance while remaining a peacekeeper and student advocate.

“I understand why they didn’t put that information out to the community immediately because parents might react in a way that would keep their kids from coming to school,” teacher Chrissy Hejny said. “But at the same time, it would have been nice to have a heads up about the number of cops that would be present on campus that morning. Because police presence makes some people feel incredibly uncomfortable.”

In the incident with the band, the director made sure students were given the opportunity to leave and not continue practicing.

“I trusted that the band directors would only continue rehearsal if it was safe,” Harwood said. “I don’t know if any students left, but I highly doubt there would have been any consequences for any students who did leave.”

When the administration discovers or is alerted of a potential threat to campus, a subsequent procedure must be followed.

“When there are things that are circulating out there in social media, then we rely on students and parents to bring those to the attention of staff so that they can be reviewed by law enforcement,” Robinson said. “In those situations, everybody has a role. And my role as principal is to be the network of information. That’s why we depend on our communication staff. There is a process that they go through to make sure all communications are vetted and accurate.”

While many parents agree that the notion of ‘see something, say something’ is imperative for the safety of students and staff on campus, they continue to advocate for communication reliability and timeliness in threatening situations.

“I would appreciate a communication plan that surfaces known threats, even ones that are not ultimately found to be credible, when the administration becomes aware of them,” Wildwood* said. “In an age where students and parents alike are getting most of their information via social media, in the absence of official communication from the school, rumors are all the community has to go on. The University of Texas, for example, sends text alerts whenever there are reports of violence or individuals suspected of having weapons. I have seen other school districts more openly share their knowledge of threats they are aware of being shared on social media, either via email or their own social media accounts.”

There was a community safety meeting that was held by the district at the Bowie campus on Wednesday, Sept. 27, after the Dispatch was sent to the press.

*Some names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the source.