TxSSC
School Safety Spotlight Awards
Staff Development and Training
- indicates an overall recipient for fiscal year.
Whole Community Safety Initiative - Dr. Melanie Ballardo, Donna ISD
Staff Development and Trainings
The Donna ISD (DISD) Whole-Community Safety Initiative is an intentional, coordinated model with the goal of reducing staff and community anxiety by promoting proactive readiness.
While the police department oversees tactical readiness, DISD Support Services leads medical readiness, establishing in-house CPR and AED certifications for staff. A key component of the initiative is training staff and seventh grade students in Stop the Bleed (STB). This training addresses Texas Education Code 38.030, which requires traumatic injury response and bleeding control training. DISD Support Services coordinates the training and DISD police officers serve as instructors. Police officers also lead exclusive parent self-defense courses and STB workshops, partnering with families to build a shared, transparent safety net that replaces the fear of the unknown with tangible preparedness.
Amidst recent school threats across the Rio Grande Valley that left families feeling helpless, the DISD training program works to empower staff, students, and parents, and serves as a direct, psychological antidote to fear. The impact of this initiative is a district-wide shift from reactive panic to proactive, confident readiness.
“What I enjoy most about our initiative is the powerful collaboration it has sparked, transforming our community's anxiety into confident empowerment. Uniting support services, the school district police department, and our families to equip everyone, from our 7th graders to our parents, with tangible, life-saving skills proves that proactive action is the best antidote to fear. Witnessing that teamwork and resilience build across Donna ISD is incredibly rewarding. Together, we are truly launching a legacy of safety.”