Sentinel school safety system launched for Texas schools
HOUSTON - Sentinel, an innovative and comprehensive safety system aimed at enhancing the security of students, faculty, and staff in schools across Texas was officially launched in the state, according to Governor Greg Abbott. Provided by the Texas Education Agency's (TEA) Office of School Safety and Security, Sentinel is available to all Texas schools at no cost.
The Sentinel system facilitates robust monitoring of school safety policies and streamlines the threat assessment process.
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"As a new school year approaches, the safety of students, school faculty, and staff across Texas remains a top priority," Governor Abbott stated. "To bolster school safety standards, we are launching Sentinel—a new, sweeping system to enhance the safety and security of students and teachers across our great state. This cutting-edge technology is available to all schools in Texas and will expand the state’s threat assessment process, improve real-time communication capabilities, and better safeguard our children, teachers, and school communities. I thank the Texas Education Agency and Chief Scott for partnering with superintendents and school safety personnel from every corner of our state to create and implement this innovative system."
School Safety and Security Chief John P. Scott emphasized the TEA’s commitment to supporting the state's 1,200 school systems. "The launch of Sentinel represents this continued focus, and I'm grateful for the Governor's support in getting this critical safety infrastructure off the ground and operational."
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The Sentinel system takes Behavioral Threat Assessments (BTAs) and places them into a unified reporting mechanism, providing schools with a clear method for conducting BTAs and managing threats. This standardized approach helps schools identify, assess, and mitigate risks to students and staff.
Additionally, Sentinel will play a crucial role in statewide emergency operations by giving state leaders timely and accurate information to support quick decision-making regarding resource allocation and support. Schools will be quickly informed in the event of a local or statewide emergency through Sentinel’s mass communication capabilities, allowing TEA to securely share guidance, resources, and other critical information with schools.
The development of Sentinel came after the passage of House Bill 3, which strengthened state monitoring of school safety and increased the school safety allotment. Senate Bill 30 provided an additional $1.1 billion for school systems to increase the safety of their facilities.
In 2022, Governor Abbott directed TEA Commissioner Mike Morath to create the position of Chief of School Safety and Security to ensure increased communication and collaboration among state agencies, thereby providing a safe environment for Texas students and school faculty.
For more information on Sentinel, visit the TEA website.