If an emergency takes place at your child’s school, how you are notified depends on the district’s communication technology and infrastructure, and the school district’s policies on mass communication. Mass communication, or notifying all parents of what is taking place, can occur due to early release because of inclement weather, an active threat at the school, or some other type of emergency. As a reminder, your child’s school needs to have current, working contact information for you, including your cell phone numbers and email addresses, so that they can quickly notify you of emergencies.

Understandably, in a school emergency, the first instinct is to rush up to the school to pick up your child. However, the best action you can take is to stay close to your phone and email and monitor local radio and TV reports for regular updates and instructions. Some school districts have a social media presence, which they may use during emergencies to push out information to followers or subscribers.

Does my child’s school have a streamlined notification system for communications? When are families notified of an imminent threat to student safety?

The Texas Education Code 37.108 states that school districts must include in their EOP the communication measures they have in place and ensure that they are adequate both in technology and infrastructure. This technology and infrastructure must include the ability to provide immediate notification to parents and guardians involving a significant threat to the health or safety of their child.