FORT WORTH, Texas — The Uvalde school shooting was a wake-up call for many North Texas schools, including some that were already in the process of implementing new security measures for the current school year. 

Tommy Corcoran does his daily patrols of Glen Rose ISD, a school district about an hour southwest of Fort Worth. Corcoran, the assistant superintendent of operations, is always looking for ways to better protect the nearly 2,000 students across five campuses. 

“It only takes not being vigilant one time or not being ready one time and it can turn into a real bad day,” Corcoran said. 

The fall 2022 school year is Glen Rose ISD’s first time using a new $285,000 crisis alert system. While the tragic Uvalde school shooting wasn’t what prompted this new alarm system, it led to the school board to expedite those discussions. 

School faculty are provided with a fob and an ID that can activate the alarm, notifying nearby on-duty and off-duty law enforcement. 

Corcoran walked Spectrum News 1 through one of the campuses, showing us the strobe alarms that are installed on the ceilings. Staff can use the fobs and faculty IDs to also notify the severity of the emergency, whether it’s a fight between students, an accidental injury or something more serious. 

“We feel like we’ve done everything we can,” Corcoran said. 

The Texas Education Agency’s state-mandated door safety audits are another layer, requiring schools to check doors once a week. 

Sgt. Shane Tipton, who oversees the student resource officers at Glen Rose ISD, says they’ve always checked doors, but the mandate is making it to where there is an actual paper trail for those frequent checks. 

“It’s going to be safer. Everyone’s going to be more comfortable,” Tipton said. 

Tipton says they check their doors at least twice a day. 

In Tarrant County, Lake Worth ISD is constantly working to protect its 3,500 students across six campuses. 

Lake Worth ISD Superintendent Rose Mary Neshyba says they just signed a new agreement to work exclusively with Lake Worth PD to provide some consistency with their student resource officers. 

“I think it just creates more of a sense of family. It provides continuity as our kids leave elementary and go to middle,” Neshyba said. 

Daron Worrell, who is new to Lake Worth ISD, is being hired on as the director of student services and safety. 

“Just trying to make sure everybody’s trained and that they get that muscle memory and get them set up,” Worrell said. 

Both school districts hope their continued work pays off in creating a safer environment for their students and faculty.