San Benito to pray for Newtown

By HEATHER CATHLEEN COX
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com

In remembrance of the lives lost in last week’s tragic Newtown, CT shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the City of San Benito will host a prayer at the flagpole located outside the Municipal Building at 9 a.m. Friday, December 21.

The San Benito Municipal Building is located at 401 N. Sam Houston Blvd.

The shooting, which claimed the lives of 27 people, 20 of whom children, at the hands of what’s being reported as a single gunman has reignited the gun control debate; meanwhile, citizens await word from leadership regarding how such tragedies can be prevented.

The media’s coverage of the shooting does not seem to be slowing down while President Barack Obama has recently been remarking on gun control, while citizens allege that mental illness might or might not possibly be a factor in the tragic events. But everyday people in communities such as San Benito are also responding.

In an email sent Friday to school district personnel and elected officials, San Benito CISD Superintendent of Schools Antonio G. Limón said, “I would like to remind our school principals about the importance of following the district’s safety measures and procedures…about the importance of enforcing check-in policies and screening procedures.” Limón continued, “Staff members [should] also be reminded to be extra vigilant and report suspicious individuals to the proper authorities, if the need arises.”

Also led to action has been the Attorney General of Texas, Greg Abbott. In a list updated on December 17, the AG reported that 78 school districts do not have a safety audit on file with the Texas School Safety Center – including Edinburg, Valley View and La Feria ISDs.

City Manager Manuel Lara said the municipal building “had a moment of silence” after news broke regarding the tragic shooting. He said, “This has been devastating to all of us. It’s such a bad time. I just don’t know how to feel about this other than: ‘Why are these things happening?’”

The city manager posed the question, “How can we tighten our responsibility? Do we limit who gets issued permits?” Lara became reflective as he said, “I have little ones. I don’t know what I would do if it were to be one of my children…We need to do everything possible to secure the safety of our children and educators.”

AG Abbott has called for all school districts to review their safety plans after reporting that that 38 school districts in Texas did not report their school safety plan, another 40 did not meet the reporting requirements, according to a media release.

“Proper preparedness and safety in our schools is not just an exercise, it will save lives when seconds count,” said AG Abbott, who is a board member of the Texas School Safety Center. “As we all mourn the horrific loss of innocent lives in Newtown, we must ensure that not another minute passes where Texas school districts are unprepared for an incident in our own state. My office will continue working with the Texas School Safety Center to ensure that every school district across this state has an effective school safety plan in place.”

The Texas Education Code requires that Texas public schools conduct safety audits once every three years. By requiring regular audits and emergency procedure practice sessions, schools and local law enforcement will be better prepared to act.

The Texas School Safety Center, created in 1999 in the aftermath of the Columbine tragedy, provides schools with research, training and technical assistance to reduce youth violence and promote safety in Texas schools.

San Benito Mayor Joe H. Hernandez expressed his concern for this tragedy by saying, “To begin, it is sad that young ones haven’t gotten a taste of life yet. They were not given the opportunity to be adults, which makes it even sadder.”

The mayor was adamant when he said, “We take it seriously, when it comes to children, and yes, we need to get together and let the world know that there are people who do care.”

“It is appropriate that we come together during this very blessed season, when we remember our personal Peacemaker,” Lara said. “During this special season, we pay tribute to a child who grew up to transform mankind. This Christmas, it is my prayer to inspire each of us to love all children, as they possess the gift to potentially change the world.”

Mayor Hernandez further commented, “Uniting together is like a picture, and it’s worth a thousand words. When people get together and pray together, the good Lord will hear. We’re hoping that things will get better in this world. That is the message that will be sent (on Friday morning). Hernandez added, “I’m very happy that our administration is doing something like that.”

In the meantime, San Benito CISD officials offered a list of some of the procedures they currently employ to protect their children, faculty and staff. The following is a slightly abbreviated version of San Benito CISD safety and security measures:

• Police officers assigned to secondary campuses

• Security guards on duty

• Canines on duty

• Video surveillance systems at all campuses

• Dispatcher on duty who monitors all schools through the district’s centralized surveillance headquarters

• Video surveillance systems on school buses

• Blackboard Connect messaging

• Schools practice routine lock-down and fire drill procedures

• Safety measures such as locking/securing doors, etc.

• Hand-held metal detectors (used on an as-needed basis)

• In-service training provided for school personnel

• Mandatory check-in of all visitors