TYLER, Texas — With Tyler ISD a month into the 2022-2023 academic school year, Superintendent Marty Crawford said Wednesday it’s been a good start.
“A month into this school year, this one has by far been the best one, out of the nine openings I’ve been associated with Tyler ISD,” he said.
With COVID-19, no longer a huge concern, the district has made safety its top priority. It’s implemented some safety features to advance school security.
“Going around making sure that all that hardware is working, that the doors are working is something that we've been in compliance with the state of Texas,” Crawford added. “Along with some additional security personnel, some, some additional technology, those have all been successfully implemented but we still got a long way to go."
Some of those additional safety features include the district's Safe2Speak bullying app along with its bus tracking feature the Ride360 app.
One of the district’s latest implementations includes vape detectors on some of the district’s campuses. Crawford said it’s a physical feature that has caused some concern for students who have been caught vaping on school grounds.
“It is an issue and it's affecting our youth in the schools, as usual, are the last line of defense of it and are having to deal with it when it should be taken care of well before the kids get to school,” Crawford added.
Crawford said the district will continue to remain stern with disciplinary action needed for students who cause harm among others.
“If you fight or vape, you're going to go to DAEP (Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs),'' Crawford said. “There is discipline afforded to those situations. And that's why we're going to continue to do that as well.”