Uvalde CISD parents and citizens speak up about school security during Monday night meeting

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — The first bell of the upcoming school year for students and teachers in the Uvalde CISD is set to ring in less than a month.

In the meantime, the community is expressing concerns about school security in the wake of the massacre at Robb Elementary School in May.

During a school board meeting Monday night, parents, students and concerned citizens stepped up to the microphone during an open forum.

Some, like Jesus Rizo, lost loved ones in the mass shooting. He wanted to know why the district has security measures that are not being properly implemented.

“I still don’t understand how you go, and you create this policy you implement it you adopt it and then we get it so wrong. It just fell apart.”

Others offered suggestions that would make the schools safer including more security cameras, more fencing and officers on campus.

Parent Adam Martinez talked about how his son has next-to-no confidence in the additional police officers assigned to each school.

“I told my son that, we were going to have extra cops there, ya know. And he said…but…who cares about the cops. They’re not going to do anything anyway.”

Some parents spoke out against sending their children back to school. They were told students will be offered the option of virtual learning this year.

There was also the matter of Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo as frustration builds over why it’s taking so long for the board to terminate him.

Arredondo has been the face of the failed police response to the shooting and the board has been hearing from citizens who want him to be fired.

The board was set to fire Arredondo during two previous meetings but the Chief’s attorney requested delays. Superintendent Hal Harrell told those in attendance he is pushing Arredondo’s attorney to resolve the matter.

“We’ve got to get this moving forward. We can’t keep knocking the ball down the road.”

he says three more sates for a termination hearing have been offered to Arredondo and they’re waiting to hear back.

The start of school in the Uvalde CISD has been pushed back to September 6 to allow schools extra time to install new safety equipment and procedures.

The community will get an update on security projects when the board holds a meeting scheduled for August 28.