A New Take on School Security: Dallas ISD Proposes Tougher Penalties for Security Breaches
Dallas school district contemplating update to student conduct code after school shooting incident
In a shake-up of its student conduct rules, Dallas ISD is looking to crack down on students leaving secured doors ajar. This move follows the shooting incident at Wilmer-Hutchins High School last month that left five individuals injured.
According to Dallas ISD police, a student — whose identity remains undisclosed — let the assailant in through an unlocked side door, allowing him to skirt past metal detectors. In response, the district plans to upgrade the offense from a Level II B to a Level III, leading to mandatory placement in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP).
Currently, the discipline for this infraction is left to the discretion of the school. The new proposed update, part of the student code of conduct for the 2025-2026 academic year, sparked debates during Thursday's board meeting.
Trustee Camile White expressed concern that lenient discipline encourages repeat offenses. "When you let people get away with an inch, they'll take a mile," she said.
Dallas ISD stopped handing out in- and out-of-school suspensions in 2021 instead opting for a reset center, where students can work on rectifying their behaviors alongside continuing their schoolwork. However, some trustees voiced dissatisfaction with the program's effectiveness, suggesting students may require an alternative setting instead of DAEP.
Trustee Joyce Foreman expressed that she did not observe improvements in her district since the implementation of the reset center. She states, "I know in the schools in my district I have not seen that turn out to be better, because we continue to have some of those serious issues that continue with our young people."
The board is expected to vote on the revisions to the student code of conduct at its next meeting on May 22.
It's a collaborative effort from KERA's news intern, Olla Mokhtar, to provide you with engaging insights into the changes brewing within Dallas ISD. If you've got a tip, don't hold back—share it with [email protected] today.
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Background Info:
- The Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) is the largest school district in Dallas County, Texas.
- Previously, Dallas ISD ended both in- and out-of-school suspensions and instead opted for reset centers.
- Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) is a Texas Education Agency program that provides students who have been involuntarily placed or who have elected to attend an alternative setting for educational services.
[1] WFAA Report - Shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School
[2] Dallas Morning News Report - Wilmer-Hutchins High School Shooting
[3] Dallas ISD Report - Preliminary Information on Wilmer-Hutchins High School Incident
- In the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year, Dallas ISD aims to intensify education-and-self-development policies by implementing stricter penalties for security breaches, following a shooting incident at Wilmer-Hutchins High School.
- As part of the ongoing debate within Dallas ISD regarding student conduct, the proposition to upgrade the offense of leaving secured doors ajar to a Level III, leading to mandatory DAEP placement, has sparked discussions on news platforms and general-news outlets about crime-and-justice in educational institutions.
