Coppell ISD installs panic buttons in classrooms under new Texas law

CBS News

4 days ago

Starting this school year, all classrooms in Texas must have a panic button.
This is part of a new requirement under Senate Bill 838, which passed in 2023 but is just now going into effect.
Coppell ISD says it began installing the new technology earlier this year to ensure all 17 campuses are ready by the first day of school.
"It's in every classroom, every office, any space that would be occupied by a member of our staff or students that could experience any kind of distress, so there are over 100 in this building," said Sara Balarin, principal at Coppell Middle School West.
Over the summer, the district has been testing the panic buttons.
"We've taught our students about what this looks like and when is an appropriate time to press the button, when it's not. And we're now at the phase of sharing that with parents," said Balarin.
Mark Bradford, safety and security coordinator for the district, says, "What this does is it allows for immediate notification from the teacher to the campus personnel and the campus security to be able to respond to incidents."
According to the bill, districts can use funds from the state safety grant.
Coppell ISD says the upgrade cost them $865,000.
"You carry the weight of 1,400 people's safety being the top priority and knowing that there's another added layer, just adds to that peace of mind for us, for parents, for our students, for our staff," said Balarin.