UVALDE, Texas — The Uvalde CISD safety and security committee was formed to provide updates and brainstorm for future action items.

After the mass shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers, the district is making safety a top priority.

During a recent meeting, newly appointed Superintendent Ashley Chohlis spoke about the TEA intruder audit. In January and February, auditors were unable to breach the exterior gates or gain entry through building doors.

The community has raised the concerns about district sports courts and fields not being accessible after school hours. The district locks the gates after school due to safety concerns, but there are limited recreational options in town. There were discussions about possibly offering an employee benefit to have staff members monitor after-school recreation.

The superintendent did not directly address the scathing findings in the Department of Justice report. The district has formed subcommittees to address those recommendations made in the DOJ report, touching on emergency operations, uniformed communication and possible reunification in the event of an emergency.

“Our goal is to work through the appropriate UCISD recommendations by subcommittee,” said Chohlis. “Systemically put best practice measures in place for the district. Because in a year from now, as a district, we want to be the gold standard of emergency operations, planning and preparedness.”

The superintendent says the goal of these quarterly safety meetings is to be in sync across the board, and to be a model for what other school districts should do for safety.