Schools face unprecedented challenges as gun violence on campuses has continued to increase.

Mineola ISD officials wanted the community to know what is being done to keep campuses safe, holding a public meeting Tuesday, May 2 that was sparsely attended.

MISD Police Chief Cody Castleberry said the district has spent $750,000 to $1 million in recent years ramping up security at the sprawling campuses off West Loop 564.

The district will open a new campus sometime next year on NE Loop 564, and Castleberry said security measures are being built into the structure that will have students up to the third grade.

Superintendent Cody Mize encouraged all district patrons to put the district’s app on their smart phones, so that they can receive the latest information on any incidents at the schools.

“Information is absolutely critical,” he said.

The district will put out what information it can as soon as it can, he said.

Mize recounted a recent incident where a threat was made. The situation was handled, but incorrect information on social media (not from the district) resulted in 400 students staying home on a school day.

FBI Special Agent Josh Matthews from the Tyler office explained what his agency does to help schools identify potential threats.

Ron Barron with Freedom Defense Training went over how police and staff members are trained.

Castleberry explained that the training he and his two officers undergo is above and beyond what most police officers receive.

He gave an overview of some of the equipment officers have access to, for training as well as for their daily service.

An example, a shield that can withstand a rifle bullet, compared to the soft body armor officers typically wear that could be penetrated.

Castleberry referenced numerous times the incident in Uvalde a year ago that resulted in the deaths of 19 elementary students and two staff members.

It has resulted in numerous upgrades in tactics and equipment.

“After Uvalde our mind set completely changed,” Castleberry said.

MISD was already well on its way to adding security measures. But the 77-minute response to that school shooting crystallized the need for better training and equipment.

Castleberry stated emphatically that Mineola is not Uvalde, and the officers here won’t be standing around.

The district has upgraded its radio system and is adding more communication capabilities.

Planning and training are ongoing.

The district has added the school guardian program – staff members who are licensed and trained to carry weapons.

It was described as a self-defense option prior to the arrival of law enforcement from within the school.

Barron, whose firm has assisted in that training, called the MISD program a poster child from among the 27 districts with which he has worked.

During the presentation Castleberry listed things parents should not do in the case of an incident at the school:

Do not flood 911 with calls, do not come to the school and do not post bad information on social media.

Reunification procedures are in place in case of an incident, but they may take hours to complete, he explained.

More information on safety and security is available on the MISD police department’s pages on the school district’s website.

Agent Matthews said the FBI offers threat assessment and threat management.

Most shooters have no criminal background and have not committed a crime prior to the indecent, he said.

“None of this happens in a vacuum,” he said.

It all starts with a grievance that is personal to the shooter. It moves into ideation, research and planning.

The person almost always tells someone.

Parents should encourage students to report something they hear, he said.